Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah An-Najm -> None shall carry the Burden of Any Other on the Day of Resurrection |
Allah the Exalted explained what He has revealed in the Scripture of Ibrahim and Musa, ﴿أَلاَّ تَزِرُ وَزِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى ﴾ (That no burdened person shall bear the burden of another.) Meaning, every soul shall carry its own injustices, whether disbelief or sin, and none else shall carry its burden of sin, as Allah states ﴿وَإِن تَدْعُ مُثْقَلَةٌ إِلَى حِمْلِهَا لاَ يُحْمَلْ مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَى﴾ (And if one heavily laden calls another to (bear) his load, nothing of it will be lifted even though he be near of kin.)(35:18) Allah said, ﴿وَأَن لَّيْسَ لِلإِنسَـنِ إِلاَّ مَا سَعَى ﴾ (And that man can have nothing but what he does.) So just as no soul shall carry the burden of any other, the soul shall only benefit from the good that one earns for himself. As for the Hadith recorded by Muslim in the Sahih, that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said, «إِذَا مَاتَ الْإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثٍ: مِنْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ، أَوْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ، أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِه» (When a person dies, his deeds will cease except in three cases: from a righteous son who invokes Allah for him, or an ongoing charity after his death, or knowledge that people benefit from.) These three things are, in reality, a result of one's own deeds, efforts and actions. For example, a Hadith states, «إِنَّ أَطْيَبَ مَا أَكَلَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ كَسْبِهِ، وَإِنَّ وَلَدَهُ مِنْ كَسْبِه» (Verily, the best type of provision that one consumes is from what he himself has earned, and one's offspring are among what he has earned.) The ongoing charity that one leaves behind, like an endowment, for example, are among the traces of his own actions and deeds. Allah the Exalted said, ﴿إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْىِ الْمَوْتَى وَنَكْتُبُ مَاَ قَدَّمُواْ وَءَاثَارَهُمْ﴾ (Verily, We give life to the dead, and We record that which they send before (them) and their traces.)(36:12) The knowledge that one spreads among people which they are guided by is among his actions and deeds. A Hadith collected in the Sahih states, «مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الْأَجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنِ اتَّبَعَهُ، مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا» (Whoever invites to guidance, he will earn as much reward as those who follow him, without decreasing anything out of their own rewards.) Allah said, ﴿وَأَنَّ سَعْيَهُ سَوْفَ يُرَى ﴾ (And that his deeds will be seen.) meaning, on the Day of Resurrection, ﴿وَقُلِ اعْمَلُواْ فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَـلِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَـدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴾ (And say: "Do deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers. And you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. Then He will inform you of what you used to do.'')(9:105), Then Allah will remind you of your actions and recompense you for them in the best manner, good for good and evil for evil. Allah's statement here, ﴿ثُمَّ يُجْزَاهُ الْجَزَآءَ الأَوْفَى ﴾ (Then he will be recompensed with a full and the best recompense.) ﴿وَأَنَّ إِلَى رَبِّكَ الْمُنتَهَى - وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَى - وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَمَاتَ وَأَحْيَا - وَأَنَّهُ خَلَقَ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالاٍّنثَى - مِن نُّطْفَةٍ إِذَا تُمْنَى - وَأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ النَّشْأَةَ الاٍّخْرَى - وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَغْنَى وَأَقْنَى - وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ رَبُّ الشِّعْرَى - وَأَنَّهُ أَهْلَكَ عَاداً الاٍّولَى - وَثَمُودَ فَمَآ أَبْقَى - وَقَوْمَ نُوحٍ مِّن قَبْلُ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ هُمْ أَظْلَمَ وَأَطْغَى - وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَى - فَغَشَّـهَا مَا غَشَّى - فَبِأَىِّ آلاءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَى ﴾ (42. And that to your Lord is the End.) (43. And that it is He Who makes laugh, and makes weep.) (44. And that it is He Who causes death and gives life.) (45. And that He creates the pairs, male and female,) (46. From Nutfah when it is emitted.) (47. And that upon Him is another bringing forth (Resurrection).) (48. And that it is He Who Aghna and Aqna.) (49. And that He is the Lord of Ash-Shi`ra.) (50. And that it is He Who destroyed the former `Ad,) (51. And Thamud. He spared none of them.) (52. And the people of Nuh aforetime. Verily, they were more unjust and more rebellious and transgressing.) (53. And He destroyed the overthrown cities.) (54. So, there covered them that which did cover.) (55. Then which of the graces of your Lord will you doubt)
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