Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Isra Verse 13

Mufti Taqi Usmani

We have tied up every human’s fortune to his neck, and on the Day of Resurrection, We will bring forth a book for him that he will find wide open,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

We have bound every human’s destiny to their neck.[[ This refers to the deeds that one is destined to do of their own free will. Out of His infinite knowledge, Allah knows people’s choices even before they make them. In the Hereafter, He will raise them from the dead for judgment. ]] And on the Day of Judgment We will bring forth to each ˹person˺ a record which they will find laid open.

Ruwwad Translation Center

We have bound every man’s deeds to his neck. On the Day of Resurrection We will bring forth for him a record which he will find spread open.

A. J. Arberry

And every man -- We have fastened to him his bird of omen upon his neck; and We shall bring forth for him, on the Day of Resurrection, a book he shall find spread wide open.

Abdul Haleem

We have bound each human being’s destiny to his neck. On the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out a record for each of them, which they will find spread wide open,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And every man: We have fastened his action round his neck, and We shall bring forth unto him on the Day of Judgment a book proffered him open.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck; On the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open.

Abul Ala Maududi

We have fastened every man's omen to his neck. On the Day of Resurrection We shall produce for him his scroll in the shape of a wide open book, (saying):

Ahmed Ali

Round each man's neck We have hung his ledger of deeds, and on the Day of Resurrection will present it as a book spread out (and say):

Ahmed Raza Khan

And We have attached the destiny of every man to his neck; and We shall bring forth a register for him on the Day of Resurrection, which he will find open.

Ali Quli Qarai

We have attached every person’s omen to his neck, and We shall bring it out for him on the Day of Resurrection as a book that he will find wide open.

Ali Ünal

Every human being’s fate We have fastened around his neck, and We will bring forth for him on the Day of Resurrection a book which he will see spread open.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And every human being We have made his deeds cling to his neck and on the Day of Resurrection We shall bring out for him a book (recording all his deeds) which he will find wide open.

English Literal

And every human/mankind We obliged/compelled him his action/anger in his neck (made himresponsible), and We bring out/make emerge for him (on) the Resurrection Day a Book/judgment he finds it spread/publicized .

Faridul Haque

And We have attached the destiny of every man to his neck; and We shall bring forth a register for him on the Day of Resurrection, which he will find open.

Hamid S. Aziz

And every man´s augury (fate) have We fastened on his own neck; and We will bring forth for him on the Day of Judgment a book offered to him wide open.

Hilali & Khan

And We have fastened every man's deeds to his neck, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him a book which he will find wide open.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And We made the night and the day two signs, then We have made the sign of the night to pass away and We have made the sign of the day manifest, so that you may seek grace from your Lord, and that you may know the numbering of years and the reckoning. And We have explained everything with distinctness.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And We have made every man's actions to cling to his neck, and We will bring forth to him on the resurrection day a book which he will find wide open:

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And every man's augury have We fastened to his own neck, and We shall bring forth for him on the Day of Resurrection a book which he will find wide open.

Muhammad Sarwar

We have made every person's actions cling to his neck. On the Day of Judgment, We will bring forth the record of his actions in the form of a wide open book.

Qaribullah & Darwish

And to every human? We have fastened to him his bird of deeds upon his neck; and on the Day of Resurrection We shall bring forth to him a book spread open wide.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And We have fastened every man's Ta'irah (deeds) to his neck, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him a Book which he will find wide open.

Wahiduddin Khan

We have tied the fate of every man about his neck; and We shall produce a book for him on Resurrection Day that he will find spread open.

Talal Itani

For every person We have attached his fate to his neck. And on the Day of Resurrection, We will bring out for him a book which he will find spread open.

Tafsir jalalayn

And We have attached every person's omen -- his deeds -- for him to carry, upon his neck -- this [site] is singled out for mention because fastening [something] to it is [much] more severe; Mujhid [b. Jabr al- Makk] said, `There is not a child born but it has a leaf around its neck in which it is decreed [that the child will be either] fortunate or damned' -- and We shall bring forth for him, on the Day of Resurrection, a book, in which his deeds are recorded [and], which he will find wide open (yalqhu manshran; both are adjectival qualifications of kitban, `a book').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Every Person will have the Book of his Deeds with Him

After mentioning time, and the deeds of the son of Adam that take place therein, Allah says;

وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَأيِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ

And We have fastened every man's Ta'irah (deeds) to his neck,

The word Ta'irah (lit. something that flies) refers to man's deeds which fly from him, as Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and others said.

It includes both good deeds and bad deeds, he will be forced to acknowledge them and will be rewarded or punished accordingly.

فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْراً يَرَهُ


وَمَن يَعْـمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرّاً يَرَهُ


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. (99;7-8)

Allah says;

إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ

مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلاَّ لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ

(Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and one on the left (to note his or her actions).

Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it). (50;17-18)

وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَـفِظِينَ

كِرَاماً كَـتِبِينَ

يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ

But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you, Kiraman (Honorable) Katibin - writing down (your deeds), they know all that you do. (82;10-12)

إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

You are only being requited for what you used to do. (52;16)

مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ

whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof. (4;123)

The meaning is that the deeds of the sons of Adam are preserved, whether they are great or small, and they are recorded night and day, morning and evening.

وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا



and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him a Book which he will find wide open.

meaning, `We will collect all of his deeds for him in a Book which will be given to him on the Day of Resurrection, either in his right hand, if he is one of the blessed, or in his left hand if he is one of the wretched.'

مَنشُورًا
(wide open) means,

it will be open for him and others to read all of his deeds, from the beginning of his life until the end.

يُنَبَّأُ الاِنسَـنُ يَوْمَيِذِ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ

بَلِ الاِنسَـنُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ

وَلَوْ أَلْقَى مَعَاذِيرَهُ

On that Day man will be informed of what (deeds) he sent forward, and what (deeds) he left behind.

Nay! Man will be a witness against himself, though he may put forth his excuses. (75;13-15)

Allah says;

اقْرَأْ كَتَابَكَ كَفَى بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا