Al-Qiyaama (The Resurrection)

13. On that Day man shall be informed of what he sent forward and what he left behind.

14. Nay! Man shall be a witness against himself,

15. Even though he may [outwardly] put forth his excuses.

The blessed Verse 13 says that man shall be informed of all the deeds he sent forwarded or delayed in doing them. Different exegeses have been suggested for these two expressions.

Some say that a reference is herein made to the deeds one has sent forward in his life time or the posthumous vestiges of his good and bad deeds left behind amongst the people who act upon them and he shall be recompensed by the good and evil consequences of their deeds. Such vestiges entailing good and evil consequences include the books, buildings, and offspring.

There are some exegetes who hold that a reference is herein made to the earliest and the last deeds done in lifetime. In other words, man shall be notified of all his deeds, the possessions he sent forward, and the possessions he left for his heirs.

It is also suggested that the blessed Verse makes alludes to the sins one put forward and the obedience delayed by him or vice versa. The first exegesis sounds further befitting, particularly when we taken into account a tradition narrated from the Noble Imam Baqir (as) regarding the exegesis of the blessed Verse in question.

The Noble Imam (as) is narrated as saying:

“On that Day man shall be informed of whatever good and evil deeds he sent forward or left behind, of his vestiges as traditions upon which the prospective generations will act. If such traditions happen to be evil, his recompense shall be equal to those who act upon them, without anything being decreased of their sins. Au contraire, if the traditions he left behind happen to be good, his rewards shall equal to theirs without anything being decreased of their Rewards.1

The blessed Verse 14 says:

“Nay! Man shall be a witness against himself.”

The point is that God Almighty and the angels shall inform him of man’s deeds, though there shall be no need to do so, since man shall be a witness against himself on that Day and he and his bodily organs shall testify then.

The blessed Verse 15 says:

“Even though he may [outwardly] put forth his excuses.”

The same theme is reflected elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an, e.g.

“Their hearing and their eyes and their skins shall testify against them as to what they used to do”2 ; “This Day We shall seal up their mouths, and their hands shall speak unto Us, and their legs shall bear witness to what they used to do”3 .

Therefore, the best witnesses testifying against one’s deeds at the Great Tribunal on the Day of Resurrection shall be man himself, since he knows best about his own deeds, though God Almighty has assigned numerous other witnesses to provide him with further testimonies.

The Arabic infinitive or participial form basira denotes “insight, knowledge” and “knowledgeable” respectively. Thus, some exegetes suggest that the word implies enlightening argument and reason. The Arabic nominal form ma‘adhir is the plural form of ma‘dhara originally denoting what effaces the vestiges of sin which may imply true excuse and at times outward excuse.

It is also suggested that ma‘adhir is the plural form of mi‘dhar denoting veil and covering. Based on the later suggestion, the blessed Verse would suggest that man is aware of himself, even though he may cast a veil on his deeds. However, the first exegesis sounds further befitting.

God Almighty shall reckon the deeds on that Great Day and He is All-Aware of the inward and outward secrets and He shall leave man to reckon his own deeds, as reflected elsewhere in the Holy Qur’an:

“Read your book. You yourself are sufficient as a one who reckons against himself this Day”4 .

The blessed Verses in question all treat of Resurrection, though reference is also made to this world.