TAFSIR IBN KATHIR: SURA # 4: NISA
Allah Wrongs Not Even the Weight of a Speck of Dust
Allah states that He does not treat any of His servants with injustice on the
Day of Resurrection, be it the weight of a mustard seed or a speck of dust.
Rather, Allah shall reward them for this action and multiply it, if it were a
good deed. For instance, Allah said,
﴿وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَزِينَ الْقِسْطَ﴾
(And We shall set up balances of justice) Allah said that Luqman said,
﴿يبُنَىَّ إِنَّهَآ إِن تَكُ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ فَتَكُنْ فِى
صَخْرَةٍ أَوْ فِى السَّمَـوَتِ أَوْ فِى الاٌّرْضِ يَأْتِ بِهَا اللَّهُ﴾
(O my son! If it be (anything) equal to the weight of a mustard seed, and
though it be in a rock, or in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it
forth). Allah said,
﴿يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتاً لِّيُرَوْاْ أَعْمَـلَهُمْ - فَمَن
يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْراً يَرَهُ - وَمَن يَعْـمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ
شَرّاً يَرَهُ ﴾
(That Day mankind will proceed in scattered groups that they may be shown their
deeds. So whosoever does good equal to the weight of a speck of dust shall see
it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of a speck of dust shall see
it.) The Two Sahihs recorded the long Hadith about the intercession that Abu
Sa`id Al-Khudri narrated, and in which the Messenger of Allah said,
«فَيَقُولُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: ارْجِعُوا، فَمَنْ وَجَدْتُمْ فِي قَلْبِهِ
مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةِ خَرْدَلٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ، فَأَخْرِجُوهُ مِنَ النَّار»
(Allah then says, "Go back, and take out of the Fire everyone in whose heart
you find the weight of a mustard seed of faith'') In another narration, Allah
says, وفي لفظ:
«أَدْنَى أَدْنَى أَدْنَى مِثْقَالِ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ، فَأَخْرِجُوهُ مِنَ
النَّارِ، فَيُخْرِجُونَ خَلْقًا كَثِيرًا»
("Whosoever had the least, least, least speck of faith, take him out of the
Fire,'' and they will take out many people.) Abu Sa`id then said, "Read, if you
will,
﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ﴾
(Surely! Allah wrongs not even of the weight of a speck of dust).''
Will Punishment be Diminished for the Disbelievers
Sa`id bin Jubayr commented about Allah's statement,
﴿وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَـعِفْهَا﴾
(but if there is any good (done), He doubles it,) "As for the disbeliever, his
punishment will be lessened for him on the Day of Resurrection, but he will
never depart the Fire.'' He used as evidence the authentic Hadith in which
Al-`Abbas said, "O Messenger of Allah! Your uncle Abu Talib used to protect and
support you, did you benefit him at all'' The Messenger said,
«نَعَمْ هُوَ فِي ضَحْضَاحٍ مِنْ نَارٍ، وَلَوْلَا أَنَا، لَكَانَ فِي الدَّرْكِ
الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّار»
(Yes. He is in a shallow area in Hell-fire, and were it not for me, he would
have been in the deepest depths of the Fire.) However, this Hadith only applies
to Abu Talib, not the rest of the disbelievers. To support this, we mention
what Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi recorded in his Musnad that Anas said that the
Messenger of Allah said,
«إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ الْمُؤْمِنَ حَسَنَةً، يُثَابُ عَلَيْهَا الرِّزْقَ فِي
الدُّنْيَا، وَيُجْزَى بِهَا فِي الْآخِرَةِ، وَأَمَّا الْكَافِرُ فَيُطْعَمُ
بِهَا فِي الدُّنْيَا، فَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ
حَسَنَة»
(Allah does not wrong the faithful even concerning one good action, for he will
be rewarded for it by provision in this life and awarded for it in the
Hereafter. As for the disbeliever, he will be provided provision in this life
for his good action, and on the Day of Resurrection, he will not have any good
deed.)
What Does `Great Reward' Mean
Abu Hurayrah, `Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and Ad-Dahhak said
that Allah's statement,
﴿وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْراً عَظِيماً﴾
(and gives from Him a great reward.) refers to Paradise. We ask Allah for His
pleasure and Paradise. Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that Abu `Uthman An-Nahdi said,
"No other person accompanied Abu Hurayrah more than I. One year, he went to
Hajj before me, and I found the people of Al-Basrah saying that he narrated
that he heard the Messenger of Allah saying,
«إِنَّ اللهَ يُضَاعِفُ الْحَسَنَةَ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ حَسَنَة»
(Allah rewards the good deed with a million deeds.) So I said, `Woe to you! No
person accompanied Abu Hurayrah more than I, and I never heard him narrate this
Hadith!' When I wanted to meet him, I found that he had left for Hajj so I
followed him to Hajj to ask him about this Hadith.'' Ibn Abi Hatim also
recorded this Hadith using another chain of narration leading to Abu `Uthman.
In this narration, Abu `Uthman said, "I said, `O Abu Hurayrah! I heard my
brethren in Al-Basrah claim that you narrated that you heard the Messenger of
Allah saying,
«إِنَّ اللهَ يَجْزِي بِالْحَسَنَةِ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ حَسَنَة»
(Allah rewards the good deed with a million deeds.) Abu Hurayrah said, `By
Allah! I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,
«إِنَّ اللهَ يَجْزِي بِالْحَسَنَةِ أَلْفَيْ أَلْفِ حَسَنَة»
(Allah rewards the good deed with two million deeds.) He then recited this Ayah,
﴿فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ﴾
(But little is the enjoyment of the life of this world as compared to the
Hereafter).''
