But there will be a few who despite having sins and misdeeds written on countless scrolls will be blessed by Allah, forgiven of their bad deeds and granted Jannah. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ indicated who these few would be.
This Hadith is mentioned in Sunan Ibn Majah / Book 37 Zuhd / كتاب الزهد) / Chapter 35: What is hoped of the Mercy of Allah on the Day of Resurrection / باب مَا يُرْجَى مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ / as Hadith number # 4300 under:
‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“A man from my nation will be called before all of creation on the Day of Resurrection, and ninety-nine scrolls will be spread out for him, each one extending as far as the eye can see. Then Allah will say: “Do you deny anything of this?” He will say: “No, O Lord.” He will say: “Have My recording scribes been unfair to you?” Then He will say: “Apart from that, do you have any good deeds?” The man will be terrified and will say: “No.” (Allah) will say: “Indeed, you have good deeds with Us, and you will not be treated unjustly this Day.” Then a card will be brought out on which is written أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ - Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah wa anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu (I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger). He will say: “O Lord, what is this card compared with these scrolls?” He will say: “You will not be treated unjustly.” Then the scrolls will be placed in one side of the Balance and the card in the other. The scrolls will go up (i.e., be light) and the card will go down (i.e., will weigh heavily).”
Arabic Text:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، حَدَّثَنِي عَامِرُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْحُبُلِيِّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " يُصَاحُ بِرَجُلٍ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَى رُءُوسِ الْخَلاَئِقِ فَيُنْشَرُ لَهُ تِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ سِجِلاًّ كُلُّ سِجِلٍّ مَدَّ الْبَصَرِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ هَلْ تُنْكِرُ مِنْ هَذَا شَيْئًا فَيَقُولُ لاَ يَا رَبِّ فَيَقُولُ أَظَلَمَتْكَ كَتَبَتِي الْحَافِظُونَ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَلَكَ عُذْرٌ أَلَكَ حَسَنَةٌ فَيُهَابُ الرَّجُلُ فَيَقُولُ لاَ . فَيَقُولُ بَلَى إِنَّ لَكَ عِنْدَنَا حَسَنَاتٍ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ ظُلْمَ عَلَيْكَ الْيَوْمَ فَتُخْرَجُ لَهُ بِطَاقَةٌ فِيهَا أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ قَالَ فَيَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ مَا هَذِهِ الْبِطَاقَةُ مَعَ هَذِهِ السِّجِلاَّتِ فَيَقُولُ إِنَّكَ لاَ تُظْلَمُ . فَتُوضَعُ السِّجِلاَّتُ فِي كِفَّةٍ وَالْبِطَاقَةُ فِي كِفَّةٍ فَطَاشَتِ السِّجِلاَّتُ وَثَقُلَتِ الْبِطَاقَةُ " . قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الْبِطَاقَةُ الرُّقْعَةُ وَأَهْلُ مِصْرَ يَقُولُونَ لِلرُّقْعَةِ بِطَاقَةً
Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)
This hadith, narrated by ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr, conveys a powerful lesson about the significance of Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and the testimony of faith in Islam, particularly the declaration of the shahada: "Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallah wa anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasuluhu", which means "I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger."
The hadith speaks about the Day of Judgment, a moment when every individual will be held accountable for their deeds. In this narration, a man from the Prophet’s (ﷺ) ummah will stand before Allah, and his deeds will be laid out in front of him. The ninety-nine scrolls represent the records of all his deeds, each one of them extensive and detailed, stretching as far as the eye can see. The man is questioned about his actions, and Allah asks him whether he denies any of the recorded deeds or whether his scribes have been unfair in recording them. The man will admit that nothing is denied and that the record is accurate.
When Allah asks if the man has any good deeds aside from the ones already recorded in the scrolls, the man will feel terror, realizing that he has nothing to present. At this point, Allah will reveal to him that there is indeed one thing that outweighs the multitude of his deeds—his testimony of faith: the shahada.
A card is brought out with the shahada written on it, and the man, seeing it in comparison to the scrolls, wonders how such a small card could possibly outweigh such a long and extensive record. Allah reassures him that he will not be treated unjustly. The scrolls are then placed on one side of the Balance, and the card with the shahada is placed on the other. Miraculously, the card outweighs all the scrolls, showing the immense weight of the testimony of faith.
Key Lessons and Insights:
- The Weight of the Shahada: The primary lesson of this hadith is the incomparable weight of the testimony of faith, which is central to Islam. The card containing the shahada will outweigh all the deeds a person has, emphasizing that sincere belief in the oneness of Allah and in Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is of paramount importance.
- Allah’s Mercy: Despite the man’s apparent lack of deeds, Allah’s mercy and grace will ensure that he is not judged solely by his actions but by the fundamental truth of his faith. The hadith illustrates the power of faith and repentance and underscores Allah’s willingness to forgive and grant mercy.
- Humility and Hope for the Believers: The hadith is a reminder of the significance of believing in the oneness of Allah and accepting the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) as His messenger. Even if a person has committed numerous sins, as long as they have this foundational belief, they can hope for Allah’s mercy on the Day of Judgment.
- Reminder of the Importance of Deeds: While the shahada is the foundation, this hadith also reminds Muslims of the importance of their deeds. It shows that good deeds are important, but the ultimate salvation lies in faith and Allah’s mercy.
This hadith thus highlights that while deeds are crucial, the fundamental belief in Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is the most important factor in determining one's final outcome in the afterlife. The hadith encourages believers to maintain their faith, hold tightly to the shahada, and hope for Allah’s mercy, knowing that He is just and merciful beyond measure.
However, this must be remembered that this case will not be for every Muslim but will apply to those who sincerely believed in wordings of the Shahada أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ and all along their lives remain tied to it firmly without wavering in their faith, "إيمان" (ʾīmān), even for a fraction of a second. So let us remain tied as close to the Shahada truly understanding the importance of the pledge so taken and expecting a Divine Reward on the Day of Judgement.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our reference page: Collections of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Rewards for more Hadiths on the subject
For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
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