Unraveling of deeds in Islamic hadith

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The logic of unraveling of the deedsYour Deeds and Your Recompense

The unraveling of deeds has been discussed both by the Shias and the Sunnis. Shaykh Bahai has said:

“Both (the Shias and Sunnis) have mentioned many hadiths regarding the unraveling of the deeds.”

We mention only a few hadiths here:

There is a hadith about the Messenger:

The famous companion Qais bin Asim says that I went to the Messenger of Islam with a group from the tribe of Bani Tamim. I asked: “O Messenger of Islam! Teach us something that is very beneficial because we pass the deserts and spend our lives far from the cities” the Messenger said:

“O Qais! Respect is accompanied by infamy, death life, the world with the hereafter and there is someone who will take account of everything and there is a book after every death.

O Qais! Befriend that which will be buried with you while it is living and you will be buried with it when you are dead. If it is beneficial then it will benefit you and if it is lowly then it will lower you. He will be raised with you and you with it. You will be asked only about it so make it pious and if it is pious then it will be a source of pleasure for you and if it is evil then it will be the cause of fear and terror and it is but your deed.”

It is also believed that following is also a part of this hadith.

Qais said, “O Messenger of God! How good it will be if this is said in poetry so that people who are with us may feel proud and keep it.”

The Messenger called for Hisan bin Thabit a person name Salsaal bin Salsaal was also present and he said: “O Messenger of God! I have made some poetry and I think it is according to what Qais desires. The Messenger asked him to read and he read as follows:

“Avoid the unpleasant deeds because the company of a person in the grave will be his deeds. Nothing but the deeds will be with (him) before and after death” (1)

Abu Baseer has narrated a hadith from Imam Baqir or Imam Sadiq as:

“When a believer dies then there are six faces with him in the grave and one of them is very beautiful. One on the right and one on the left, on ahead of him and one behind him, One near the feet but the face that is most beautiful stands near the head. When the punishment comes from the right then the face on the right stops it and the other five do the same. The face that is the most beautiful addresses the others:

“Who are you? May God give you a good reward. the face on the right says, “ I am the daily prayers”; the one on the left says, “ I am Zakat”, the one before him says, “ I am the (Ramadan) fasting”, the one behind says, “ I am Hajj and Umra” and the one at the feet says “ I am the kindness you showed to your brothers and then all of them ask the most beautiful face, “ Who are you that you the most beautiful?” It will introduce itself as, “ I am the Ministry of the progeny of Mohammad” (2)

In one hadith the Messenger is reported to have said:

“ Gabriel told me, “ O Mohammad! Spend as much of life as you can but ultimately you have to say goodbye to it. Do what ever you please because ultimately you will meet them.”(3)

In yet another hadith the Messenger is reported to have said:

“ When the believer rises from the grave on the Day of Judgment his deeds will confront him as a beautiful face. He will ask it, “ Who are you? By God I find you a truthful person. It will answer : “ I am your deeds.” And it will act as guide for the believer to reach Paradise. (4)

In our final hadith Imam Sadiq is reported to have said:

“ When the dead body is kept in the grave a person appears to him and says: “ O human! We were three. One was your sustenance which ended with the end of you life; the second was your family which has kept you here and gone and I am your deeds and accompany you but I was the least important among them for you.”(5)

There are umpteen hadiths regarding this and there is one about the Meraj which says:

When the Messenger passed the Hell and Paradise he found the sinners undergoing punishments and the pious with their hopes enjoying the fruits of Paradise.

Backbiting has been described in a hadith as a foul smelling meat which the backbiter will eat. This too confirms our contention.

From the above hadiths we learn that our deeds will meet us either in purgatory or on the Day of Judgment. Verse 10 of Surah Nisaa says:

“Verily those who unjustly usurp the property of the orphans fill only fire in their bellies and they will be burnt in the blazing fire.

This tells us that every deed has an unseen existence in this world. The wealth of the orphans if usurped is like fire of Hell’ but the nearsighted people do not see it in this world.

There is no cause for us to interpret these traditions or verses symbolically and make excuses for them when there is no doubt about accepting them. This will be explained later Inshallah.

 


 

1. Tafsir Al Mizan vol.19 pages 228-229 but from the tradition in “Khisal” of Shaykh Suduq we find that it was Qais bin Asim who composed this poetry impromptu and the verse says: Make your deeds your friend and deeds will be company in the grave” Khisal vol.1 chap.3 hadith 92
2. Kitabol Mahasin as quoted in Behar-ol-Anwar vol.6 page 234 hadith 50
3. Kanzol A’maal vol.14 page 346
4. Kanzol A’maal vol. 14 page 366
5. Furu Kafi vol.3 page 240 hadith 14.

 

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