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The Day of Resurrection 4 – The Scales (al Mizan)

ByShaykh Haytham Tamim

The Scales (Al-Mizan)

When judgment begins, Allah will set up the scales of justice so that every deed is weighed with complete fairness.

The mizan (scales) of the Day of Resurrection are real and physical, not metaphorical.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told us that they will have two pans (kiffatan), just like ordinary scales, but their size and precision are beyond human imagination.

Imam al-Qurtubi  wrote:

The scales have two pans and a tongue (a balance beam), and they will be placed before the Throne, measuring deeds with absolute justice. Allah can make the smallest thing heavy if He wills, and can make the greatest thing light if He wills.
(Tafseer Qurtubi)

The Prophet ﷺ said that the scales are so vast that even the heavens and earth could fit within them. He mentioned:

The scales will be set up on the Day of Resurrection. If the heavens and the earth were to be weighed in them, they would fit. The angels will say, ‘O Lord, for whom is this?’ Allah will say, ‘For whomever I will from among My creation.’
(Bayhaqi in Shuʿab al-Imaan)

This shows that the scales are not symbolic, they are real instruments of divine measurement, built by Allah’s power.

What will be weighed

  1. Deeds themselves: Allah can make deeds appear in forms that can be weighed.
    The Prophet ﷺ said:
إِنَّهُ لَيَأْتِي الرَّجُلُ الْعَظِيمُ السَّمِينُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لاَ يَزِنُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَةٍ

A huge, fat man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection, but he will not weigh the wing of a mosquito with Allah.
(Bukhari and Mulsim)

This means deeds, not bodies, carry true weight, only faith and righteousness give value.

  1. Books of deeds: Some narrations say the scrolls of deeds will be placed on the scales.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَيُخَلِّصُ رَجُلاً مِنْ أُمَّتِي عَلَى رُءُوسِ الْخَلاَئِقِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيَنْشُرُ عَلَيْهِ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ سِجِلاًّ كُلُّ سِجِلٍّ مِثْلُ مَدِّ الْبَصَرِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَتُنْكِرُ مِنْ هَذَا شَيْئًا أَظَلَمَكَ كَتَبَتِي الْحَافِظُونَ فَيَقُولُ لاَ يَا رَبِّ ‏.‏ فَيَقُولُ أَفَلَكَ عُذْرٌ فَيَقُولُ لاَ يَا رَبِّ ‏.‏ فَيَقُولُ بَلَى إِنَّ لَكَ عِنْدَنَا حَسَنَةً فَإِنَّهُ لاَ ظُلْمَ عَلَيْكَ الْيَوْمَ فَتَخْرُجُ بِطَاقَةٌ فِيهَا أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ فَيَقُولُ احْضُرْ وَزْنَكَ فَيَقُولُ يَا رَبِّ مَا هَذِهِ الْبِطَاقَةُ مَعَ هَذِهِ السِّجِلاَّتِ فَقَالَ إِنَّكَ لاَ تُظْلَمُ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَتُوضَعُ السِّجِلاَّتُ فِي كِفَّةٍ وَالْبِطَاقَةُ فِي كِفَّةٍ فَطَاشَتِ السِّجِلاَّتُ وَثَقُلَتِ الْبِطَاقَةُ فَلاَ يَثْقُلُ مَعَ اسْمِ اللَّهِ شَيْءٌ

Indeed Allah will distinguish a man from my Ummah before all of creation on the Day of Judgement. Ninety-nine scrolls will be laid out for him, each scroll is as far as the eye can see, then He will say: ‘Do you deny any of this? Have those who recorded this wronged you?’

He will say: ‘No, O Lord!’

He will say: Do you have an excuse?’

He will say: ‘No, O Lord!’

So He will say: ‘Rather you have a good deed with us, so you shall not be wronged today.” Then He will bring out a card (Bitaqah); on it will be: “I testify to La Ilaha Illallah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.”

He will say: ‘Bring your scales.’

He will say: ‘O Lord! What good is this card next to these scrolls?’

He will say: ‘You shall not be wronged.’ He said: ‘The scrolls will be put on a pan (of the scale), and the card on (the other) pan: the scrolls will be light, and the card will be heavy, nothing is heavier than the Name of Allah.’
(Tirmidhi, Ahmad)

  1. People themselves: Others will be weighed by their faith and sincerity.
سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا صَلَوَاتُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ يَقُولُ‏:‏ أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ أَنْ يَصْعَدَ شَجَرَةً فَيَأْتِيَهُ مِنْهَا بِشَيْءٍ، فَنَظَرَ أَصْحَابُهُ إِلَى سَاقِ عَبْدِ اللهِ فَضَحِكُوا مِنْ حُمُوشَةِ سَاقَيْهِ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏:‏ مَا تَضْحَكُونَ‏؟‏ لَرِجْلُ عَبْدِ اللهِ أَثْقَلُ فِي الْمِيزَانِ مِنْ أُحُدٍ‏.‏

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ  once commanded Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) to climb a tree to get something from the tree top. While climbing, his legs became exposed and the Companions saw how thin they were and this caused them to laugh. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“What are you laughing at? At the legs of ‘Abdullah that will heavier on the scale on the Day of Qiyamah than the weight of mount Uhud?”

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“On the Day of Resurrection, a man will be brought, and he will be placed on the scale — and nothing will be heavier than his faith.”
(Ahmad, Ibn Hibban)

So the mizan can weigh deeds, records, and people, according to Allah’s wisdom.

What makes the scales heavy

The Prophet ﷺ told us many things that add weight to the scales:

لِمَتَانِ حَبِيبَتَانِ إِلَى الرَّحْمَنِ، خَفِيفَتَانِ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ، ثَقِيلَتَانِ فِي الْمِيزَانِ
 سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْعَظِيمِ
  • Saying Subḥanallahi wa biḥamdihi and Subḥānallāhil-ʿAẓīm

Two words are light on the tongue, heavy on the scales, and beloved to the Most Merciful.
(Bukhari & Muslim)

  • Good character
ما من شئ أثقل في ميزان المؤمن يوم القيامة من حسن الخلق، وإن الله يبغض الفاحش البذي

Nothing will be heavier on the believer’s scale on the Day of Resurrection than good manners.
(Tirmidhi)

  • Sincerity and intention — even small acts become great when done sincerely.

The scales will stand before the Throne of Allah, shining with His justice.
Every deed, even a smile, a prayer, or a word of kindness, will appear in full measure.
Not a single atom’s weight will be ignored.

Allah warns of people whose actions appear vast and impressive, yet will amount to nothing when weighed on the scales. He says:

وَقَدِمۡنَآ إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُواْ مِنۡ عَمَلٖ فَجَعَلۡنَٰهُ هَبَآءٗ مَّنثُورًا

And We will regard what they have done of deeds and make them as dust scattered in the wind.

(Al Furqan 25:23)

These are the deeds done without sincerity, or those tainted by showing off, arrogance, or disbelief. Though outwardly great, they carry no spiritual weight because they were not done for Allah’s sake. This is one of the scariest ayahs in the Quran, which reminds us to ensure that whatever we do, if we want it to count on the Day that matters, it must be done with purity of intention.

The accuracy and complete justice of the scales

Allah says:

وَنَضَعُ ٱلۡمَوَٰزِينَ ٱلۡقِسۡطَ لِيَوۡمِ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ فَلَا تُظۡلَمُ نَفۡسٞ شَيۡـٔٗاۖ وَإِن كَانَ مِثۡقَالَ حَبَّةٖ مِّنۡ خَرۡدَلٍ أَتَيۡنَا بِهَاۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِنَا حَٰسِبِينَ

We shall set up the scales of justice for the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be wronged in anything. Even if it be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth.
(Al Anbiya 21:47)

If a person sincerely repents for a sin in this world, they will not be questioned about it in the Hereafter. True repentance wipes the sin completely from their record, as if it never occurred.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

التَّائِبُ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ كَمَنْ لاَ ذَنْبَ لَهُ

The one who repents from sin is like the one who has no sin.

(Ibn Majah)

يَدْنُو أَحَدُكُمْ مِنْ رَبِّهِ حَتَّى يَضَعَ كَنَفَهُ عَلَيْهِ فَيَقُولُ عَمِلْتَ كَذَا وَكَذَا‏.‏ فَيَقُولُ نَعَمْ‏.‏ وَيَقُولُ عَمِلْتَ كَذَا وَكَذَا‏.‏ فَيَقُولُ نَعَمْ‏.‏ فَيُقَرِّرُهُ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ إِنِّي سَتَرْتُ عَلَيْكَ فِي الدُّنْيَا، فَأَنَا أَغْفِرُهَا لَكَ الْيَوْمَ ‏‏‏.‏

On the Day of Resurrection, such a person will not be questioned or held to account for that sin, for Allah has promised to conceal and forgive it. As the Prophet ﷺ narrated, “Allah will draw His servant close, conceal him, and say: ‘Do you remember this sin?’ until He says: ‘I concealed it for you in the world and I forgive you today.’

(Bukhari and Muslim)

When repentance is genuine, filled with regret, resolve, and reform, Allah not only forgives but even replaces the bad deeds with good ones, as He says:

إِلَّا مَن تَابَ وَءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلٗا صَٰلِحٗا فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ ٱللَّهُ سَيِّـَٔاتِهِمۡ حَسَنَٰتٖۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورٗا رَّحِيمٗا

Except for those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds — for them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good.

(Al Furqan 25:70)

 

 

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