سورة الزلزلة

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): It has been narrated that a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to learn the Quran from him. When he reached this saying of Allah the Exalted: فَمَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَیْراً یَرَهُ* وَ مَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا یَرَهُ [So he who has done an atom's weight of good shall see it, and he who has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it], he said: "This much is enough for me," and he went about his business. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "This man returned as a faqih (one with understanding of religion)."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Abu Ubayda said: Sa'sa'a ibn Najiya, the grandfather of Farazdaq (the famous poet), came into the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) with a delegation from the tribe of Banu Tamim and said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! Give me some counsel." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "I counsel you to [safeguard the rights of] your father, mother, and relatives." He said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Give me more counsel." He said: "Guard your mouth and your private parts [from what is forbidden]..." And in another narration it is reported thus: Sa'sa'a heard the verses فَمَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَیْراً یَرَهُ* وَ مَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا یَرَهُ [So he who has done an atom's weight of good shall see it, and he who has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it] and said: "[These verses] are enough for me, and I do not mind if I hear nothing else of the Quran besides these verses."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): I praise Allah, who is the Regulator of the celestial spheres, who brings a century after every century and creates one age after another; and to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth, that He may recompense the evildoers for what they have done and reward those who do good with the best reward (Najm/31). Out of His justice, His names are sanctified and His blessings are great; Allah does not wrong the people at all, but it is the people who wrong themselves (Yunus/44). As He Himself has said: فَمَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَیْراً یَرَهُ. وَ مَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا یَرَهُ [So whoever does an atom's weight of good shall see it. And whoever does an atom's weight of evil shall see it]. And in verses similar to it in the Book which is the clarifier of everything, which no falsehood approaches, neither from before it nor from behind it, for it has been sent down from Allah, the All-Wise, the Praiseworthy! (Fussilat/42). Therefore our master Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) said: "These are only your own deeds which return to you on the Day of Resurrection."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): As for the response to the Jabriyyun (predestinarians), who believe that we creatures have no will or choice and are compelled [in our actions], and that whatever action we perform is actually Allah who creates those actions, and if actions are attributed to people it is only metaphorical (a word used in other than its real meaning is called metaphorical) and not real; and on the basis of this false belief of theirs, they have [wrongly] interpreted verses of the Quran — that is, they have not grasped the [real] meaning of these verses [and are not aware that the real meaning of these verses is contrary to their apparent meaning]... That Allah the Mighty and Majestic says "for it" and "against it" is in reality on account of the person's own deeds; and [likewise] He said: فَمَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَیْراً یَرَهُ وَ مَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا یَرَه [So whoever does an atom's weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil shall see it]...

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): O son of Adam! Know that the stages beyond and [the trials of] the Day of Resurrection are greater, more terrifying and more heart-rending. It is a day on which all people are gathered, and it is the day of appearance [or the day of witnessing the recompense of deeds]; Allah gathers the first and the last, the Trumpet is blown, and the graves are turned inside out. The day is near. It is a day on which hearts rise to the throats [from terror], and breaths are held in the chests. It is a day on which no stumble is overlooked, no ransom or substitute is taken, no excuse is accepted from anyone, and no one is granted permission for repentance. There is nothing but reward for good deeds and punishment for sins. Whoever in this world has done an atom's weight of good shall find it, and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): For faith there are degrees and ranks by which the believers surpass one another before Allah... [Allah] says: "یَرْفَعِ اللهُ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا مِنْکُمْ وَ الَّذِینَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجاتٍ [Allah raises to great degrees those of you who believe and those to whom knowledge has been given]" (Mujadila/11). In another verse He said: "ذلِکَ بِأَنَّهُمْ لا یُصِیبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ وَ لا نَصَبٌ وَ لا مَخْمَصَةٌ فِی سَبِیلِ اللهِ وَ لا یَطَؤُنَ مَوْطِئاً یَغِیظُ الْکُفَّارَ وَ لا یَنالُونَ مِنْ عَدُوٍّ نَیْلًا إِلَّا کُتِبَ لَهُمْ بِهِ عَمَلٌ صالِحٌ [That is because no thirst nor fatigue nor hunger afflicts them in the way of Allah, nor do they take a step that enrages the disbelievers, nor do they inflict any blow on an enemy, but that a righteous deed is written down for them on account of it]" (Tawba/120). In another verse He said: "وَ ما تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِکُمْ مِنْ خَیْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللهِ [And whatever good you send forward for yourselves, you will find it with Allah (in the next abode)]" (Baqara/110). And He also said: "فَمَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَیْراً یَرَهُ* وَ مَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا یَرَهُ [So whoever has done an atom's weight of good shall see it, and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it]"; these are the degrees of faith and its ranks before Allah.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): In the narration of Abu al-Jarud it is reported that Imam Baqir (peace be upon him), regarding the verse "فَمَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَیْراً یَرَهُ [So whoever has done an atom's weight of good shall see it]", said: "If he is among the people of the Fire and in the world he has performed an atom's weight of good deed, he will see it on the Day of Resurrection as a source of regret, if he had performed it for other than Allah." And regarding the verse "وَ مَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا یَرَهُ [And whoever has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it]", he said: "If he is among the people of Paradise, he sees that evil deed on the Day of Resurrection, then he is forgiven."

Imam al-Rida (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Yazid said: I said to Imam al-Rida (peace be upon him): "Two of my children have died and now only one small child remains for me." He said: "Give charity on his behalf." When I wanted to get up, he said: "Instruct the child to give charity with his own hand, even if it is little. Anything that is given for the sake of Allah, even if little, is great in the sight of Allah. Allah says: فَمَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَیْراً یَرَهُ* وَ مَنْ یَعْمَلْ مِثْقالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا یَرَه [So whoever has done an atom's weight of good shall see it, and whoever has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it]."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah said: One day we were with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). He said: "Last night I saw wondrous things." I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! What did you see? Relate it to us, may our souls and our families and our children be your ransom!" He said: "I saw a man of my Ummah to whom the Angel of Death had come to take his soul, and his kindness (birr) to his parents came and prevented him from him. And I saw a man of my Ummah upon whom the punishment of the grave had spread its claws, and his wudu (ablution) came and prevented it from him. And I saw a man of my Ummah whom the satans had surrounded, and the remembrance of Allah the Mighty and Majestic came and rescued him from among them. And I saw a man of my Ummah panting with thirst, and every pool he came to he was barred from, and his fasting of the month of Ramadan came and gave him drink and quenched him. And I saw a man of my Ummah who, whenever he drew near to a circle of the Prophets, was driven away, and his ghusl from janabah (major ritual impurity) came, took him by the hand, and seated him beside me. And I saw a man of my Ummah drowning in darkness on six sides, and his Hajj and his Umrah came and brought him out of the darkness and led him into the light. And I saw a man of my Ummah who was speaking to the believers but they would not speak to him, and his sila al-rahim (upholding of kinship ties) came and said: 'O company of believers! Speak to him, for he used to uphold his kinship ties.' So the believers spoke to him and shook his hand, and he accompanied them. And I saw a man of my Ummah who had made his hand and his face a shield against the sparks of the Fire, and his sadaqah (charity) came and became a shade over his head and a covering over his face. And I saw a man of my Ummah whom the officers of Hell had seized from every side, and his enjoining of good and his forbidding of evil came and freed him from their hands and delivered him to the angels of mercy. And I saw a man of my Ummah fallen upon his knees, with a veil between him and the mercy of Allah, and his good character came, took him by the hand, and brought him into the mercy of Allah. And I saw a man of my Ummah whose book of deeds was moving toward his left, and his fear of Allah came and took his book of deeds and placed it in his right hand. And I saw a man of my Ummah whose scales were light, though he had performed many prayers, and it came and made his scales heavy. And I saw a man of my Ummah on the brink of Hell, and his hope in Allah came and rescued him. And I saw a man of my Ummah plunging into the Fire, and the tears he had wept from fear of Allah came and brought him out of it. And I saw a man of my Ummah trembling on the Sirat like a palm branch on a day of violent wind, and his good opinion of Allah came and calmed him and he passed over the Sirat. And I saw a man of my Ummah on the Sirat crawling on his chest at times, going on all fours at times, and hanging on at times, and the salawat he had sent upon me came and set him on his feet, and he passed over the Sirat. And I saw a man of my Ummah reaching the gates of Paradise, and every gate he came to was shut before him, and his testimony that there is no god but Allah, sincerely uttered, came and opened the gates for him and he entered Paradise."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): The ground of the Resurrection is fire, except for the shade of the believer; for indeed, the believer's charity casts shade over him.

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): "And whatever good you send forth for yourselves, you shall find it with Allah [in the Hereafter]" (Baqarah/110). وَ ما تُقَدِّمُوا لِأَنْفُسِکُمْ [And whatever you send forth for yourselves] means the wealth which you spend in obedience to Allah; and if you have no wealth, then expend of your standing (jah) for your believing brothers, and by this action draw benefits toward them and repel harms from them. تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَ اللهِ [you shall find it with Allah] means Allah the Exalted, by the standing of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his pure family (peace be upon them), will bring you benefit through it on the Day of Resurrection; so He will cast away your sins through it, and multiply your good deeds many times through it, and raise your ranks through it.

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Nothing is placed in a person's scale of deeds on the Day of Resurrection that is superior to good character.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Whoever keeps a horse in the way of Allah, its fodder, its dung and the water it drinks will be in his scale on the Day of Resurrection.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Lo! Give glad tidings to those who walk through the darknesses to the mosques of a radiant light on the Day of Resurrection.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): When one of you places his head down in sajdah (prostration), he should place both his palms on the ground; perhaps on the Day of Resurrection the chain will be lifted from him and he will not be led in bondage.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): On the Day of Resurrection a group will be raised beneath the shade of the Throne, their faces of light and their garments of light, seated on thrones of light. The creatures will look upon them and say: "Are these the prophets?" Then a caller from beneath the Throne will call out that these are not prophets. The creatures will say again: "Are these the martyrs?" Then a caller will again call out that these are not martyrs, but these are a group who used to make things easy for the believers and who used to grant respite to the debtor in hardship until his circumstances eased.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Any young believer who recites the Quran, the Quran mingles with his flesh and blood, and Allah places him together with the angels who are the emissaries of Allah and are noble and righteous, and on the Day of Resurrection the Quran will be a barrier holding him back from Hell.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) that regarding the word of Allah the Exalted: وَمَن یَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا یَرَهُ [And he who has done an atom's weight of evil shall see it] he said: "If he is among the people of Paradise, he will see that evil on the Day of Resurrection, and then Allah the Exalted will forgive that evil for him."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): A man is detained for a hundred years on account of a single sin, while he looks upon his wives in Paradise enjoying blessings and delight.