Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 9

Mufti Taqi Usmani

But those whose scales are light, they are the ones who have brought loss to themselves, because they did not do justice to Our verses.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

But those whose scale is light, they have doomed themselves for wrongfully denying Our signs.

Ruwwad Translation Center

But those whose scales are light, it is they who have lost their own souls, because they wrongfully rejected Our verses.

A. J. Arberry

and he whose scales are light -- they have lost their soul for wronging Our signs.

Abdul Haleem

and those whose good deeds are light will be the ones who have lost their souls through their wrongful rejection of Our messages.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And whosesoever balances will be light - those are they who have lost themselves in respect of Our signs.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Those whose scale will be light, will be their souls in perdition, for that they wrongfully treated Our signs.

Abul Ala Maududi

and those whose scales are light will be the losers, for they, are the ones who have been unjust to Our signs.

Ahmed Ali

And those whose (deeds) are lighter in the scale shall perish for violating Our signs.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And those whose scales are light are the people who put themselves to ruin – the recompense of the injustice they used to do to Our signs.

Ali Quli Qarai

As for those whose deeds weigh light in the scales—it is they who have ruined their souls, because they used to wrong Our signs.

Ali Ünal

And he whose scales are light (because they have no acceptable good deeds) – they will be those who have ruined their own selves because they were unjust to Our Revelations and signs (in both the universe and themselves).

Amatul Rahman Omar

And those whose scales are light (and their deeds of little account), it is they who have made their souls suffer losses because they have been unjust with regard to Our Messages.

English Literal

And who his (whose) weights/measures were reduced/lightened, so those (are) those who lost themselves because (of) what they were with Our signs/verses/evidences causing injustice/oppression.

Faridul Haque

And those whose scales are light are the people who put themselves to ruin - the recompense of the injustice they used to do to Our signs.

Hamid S. Aziz

But those whose scales are light, they it is who lose their souls, for that they did act unjustly by Our Signs (revelations, creatures).

Hilali & Khan

And as for those whose scale will be light, they are those who will lose their ownselves (by entering Hell) because they denied and rejected Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.).

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And the judging on that day will be just; so as for those whose good deeds are heavy, they are the successful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And as for him whose measure (of good deeds) is light those are they who have made their souls suffer loss because they disbelieved in Our communications.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And as for those whose scale is light: those are they who lose their souls because they used to wrong Our revelations.

Muhammad Sarwar

As for those whose bad deeds weigh heavier, they will lose their souls for their injustice to Our revelations.

Qaribullah & Darwish

but he whose scales are light those have lost their souls because they were harmful towards Our verses.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And as for those whose scale will be light, they are those who will lose themselves for their wrongful behavior with Our Ayat.

Wahiduddin Khan

and those whose good deeds are light [in the balance] will be the ones who have lost themselves because they wrongfully rejected Our signs.

Talal Itani

But as for those whose weights are light—it is they who have lost their souls, because they used to mistreat Our revelations.

Tafsir jalalayn

And as for those whose scales are light, because of evil deeds, those are the ones who have lost their souls, by causing them to travel towards the Fire, because they mistreated, they [knowingly] denied, Our signs.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

And the weighing on that Day will be the true (weighing). So, as for those whose scale (of good deeds) will be heavy, they will be the successful (by entering Paradise). And as for those whose scale will be light, they are those who will lose themselves for their wrongful behavior with Our Ayat.

وَالْوَزْنُ
(And the weighing),

of deeds on the Day of Resurrection,

الْحَقُّ
(will be the true (weighing)),

for Allah will not wrong anyone.

Allah said in other Ayat,

وَنَضَعُ الْمَوَزِينَ الْقِسْطَ لِيَوْمِ الْقِيَـمَةِ فَلَ تُظْلَمُ نَفْسٌ شَيْياً وَإِن كَانَ مِثْقَالَ حَبَّةٍ مِّنْ خَرْدَلٍ أَتَيْنَا بِهَا وَكَفَى بِنَا حَـسِبِينَ

And We shall set up the Balances of justice on the Day of Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And if there be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We to take account. (21;47)

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَـعِفْهَا وَيُوْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْراً عَظِيماً

Surely, Allah wrongs not even the weight of a speck of dust, but if there is any good (done), He doubles it, and gives from Him a great reward. (4;40)

فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَزِينُهُ فَهُوَ فِى عِيشَةٍ رَّاضِيَةٍ وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَزِينُهُ فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ وَمَأ أَدْرَاكَ مَا هِيَهْ نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ

Then as for him whose scale (of good deeds) will be heavy. He will live a pleasant life (in Paradise). But as for him whose scale (of good deeds) will be light. He will have his home in Hawiyah (pit, Hell). And what will make you know what it is (It is) a fiercely blazing Fire! (101;6-11)

and,

فَإِذَا نُفِخَ فِى الصُّورِ فَلَ أَنسَـبَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَيِذٍ وَلَا يَتَسَأءَلُونَ

فَمَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَزِينُهُ فَأُوْلَـيِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

وَمَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَزِينُهُ فأُوْلَـيِكَ الَّذِينَ خَسِرُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ فِى جَهَنَّمَ خَـلِدُونَ

Then, when the Trumpet is blown, there will be no kinship among them that Day, nor will they ask of one another. Then, those whose scales (of good deeds) are heavy, they are the successful. And those whose scales (of good deeds) are light, they are those who lose themselves, in Hell will they abide. (23;101-103)

As for what will be placed on the Balance on the Day of Resurrection, it has been said that;

the deeds will be placed on it, even though they are not material objects. Allah will give these deeds physical weight on the Day of Resurrection.

Al-Baghawi said that this was reported from Ibn Abbas.

It is recorded in the Sahih that;

Al-Baqarah (Surah 2) and Al Imran (Surah 3) will come on the Day of Resurrection in the shape of two clouds, or two objects that provide shade, or two lined groups of birds.

It is also recorded in the Sahih that;

the Qur'an will come to its companion (who used to recite and preserve it) in the shape of a pale-faced young man. He will ask (the young man), "Who are you?"

He will reply, "I am the Qur'an, who made you stay up sleeplessly at night and caused you thirst in the day."

The Hadith that Al-Bara' narrated about the questioning in the grave states,

فَيَأْتِي الْمُوْمِنَ شَابٌّ حَسَنُ اللَّوْنِ طَيِّبُ الرِّيحِ فَيَقُولُ مَنْ أَنْتَ

فَيَقُولُ أَنَا عَمَلُكَ الصَّالِح

A young man with fair color and good scent will come to the believer, who will ask, `Who are you?'

He will reply, `I am your good deeds'.

The Prophet mentioned the opposite in the case of the disbeliever and the hypocrite.

It was also said that;

the Book of Records that contains the deeds will be weighed.

A Hadith states that;

a man will be brought forth and ninety-nine scrolls containing errors and sins will be placed on one side of the balance each as long as the sight can reach. He will then be brought a card on which `La ilaha illallah' will be written. He will say, "O Lord! What would this card weigh against these scrolls?"

Allah will say, "You will not be wronged."

So the card will be placed on the other side of the Balance, and as the Messenger of Allah said,

فَطَاشَتِ السِّجِلَّتُ وَثَقُلَتِ الْبِطَاقَة

Behold! The (ninety-nine) scrolls will go up, as the card becomes heavier.

At-Tirmidhi recorded similar wording for this Hadith and said that it is authentic.

It was also said that the person who performed the deed will be weighed.

A Hadith states,

يُوْتَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِالرَّجُلِ السَّمِينِ فَلَ يَزِنُ عِنْدَ اللهِ جَنَاحَ بَعُوضَة

On the Day of Resurrection, a fat man will be brought forth, but he will not weigh with Allah equal to the wing of a mosquito.

He then recited the Ayah,

فَلَ نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ وَزْناً

And on the Day of Resurrection, We shall assign no weight for them. (18;105)

Also, the Prophet said about Abdullah bin Mas`ud,

أَتَعْجَبُونَ مِنْ دِقَّةِ سَاقَيْهِ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَهُمَا فِي الْمِيزَانِ أَثْقَلُ مِنْ أُحُد

Do you wonder at the thinness of his legs? By He in Whose Hand is my soul! They are heavier on the Balance than (Mount) Uhud.

It is also possible to combine the meanings of these Ayat and Hadiths by stating that all this will truly occur, for sometimes the deeds will be weighed, sometimes the scrolls where they are recorded will be weighed, and sometimes those who performed the deeds will be weighed.

Allah knows best