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Lesson Seventeen
The Criteria by
Which
Our Deeds will be Judged
Let us now examine how our deeds
will be judged and weighed after resurrection. As we have previously remarked,
the mental pictures we form of scenes that have no precedent in our lives
nor bear any similarity to it will necessarily be imaginary; they will
be unable to advance us to the direct perception of the reality in question.
It would be futile were one to expect to trace out in his mind something
of the nature and characteristics of the hereafter. For we are now confined
in the prison of the world and a clear boundary has been drawn between
us and the next world; how might we perceive the splendor and profundity
and the perfection of the life that awaits us there? A finite being subject
to change cannot possibly conceive an accurate notion of the eternal.
When, therefore, we speak of accounting and judgement in the hereafter,
it should not be imagined that this corresponds precisely to the drawing
up of dossiers and the investigations and trials that take place in this
world. The true nature of the matter is hidden in obscurity, and whatever
image we form of it ought to be forgotten.
Those who follow the path of truth know that when we speak of a world which
is utterly different from the present one and the means that will be applied
there to judge men's deeds with respect to good and evil, it should not
be thought that men will be faced with some prosecutor who carefully weighs
their deeds in some huge scale, and that then they are given the opportunity
to defend themselves before the court issues its verdict for implementation
by the executive branch. The concept of the scale or the balance presented
in the Qur'an is infinitely more comprehensive than what is implied by
this picture. Thus God says:
He raised the heavens and He placed in all things a balance and
means of accounting (55:7).
At the time of resurrection, We shall set up the scales of justice,
and none will be wronged on that day. Everyone will be requited in accordance
with his deeds. We shall take into reckoning the smallest of deeds, even
if it be no greater than a mustard grain, for it is We Who shall call them
to account (21:47).
The day of resurrection is in truth the day on which deeds shall
be weighed. Those whose good deeds weigh heavy in the balance shall be
saved and those whose deeds are slight are those who have wronged themselves
by transgressing against the signs and messengers of God (7:8-9).
These verses point out that those who have squandered the capital of their
existence will suffer eternal and irredeemable loss, for the loss that
results in the corruption of the very essence of man's being is the greatest
of all losses and no compensation can be made for it.
It should be remembered that we cannot always apply the criteria with which
we are familiar to understanding the words of the Qur'an; we must seek
to understand the concepts that underlie them and the results to which
they give rise. Moreover, the words to which we have recourse in attempting
to explain matters are inevitably defective.
Thanks to the progress of science, man has discovered means for measuring
air and blood, the temperature of the body, and electrical currents. However,
he does not possess means for measuring the motives and intentions of men's
deeds or their good and their evil. It is in the hereafter that means exist
for the measurement and assessment of such matters.
Precise criteria and means of measurement exist there for assessing the
spiritual and moral dimensions of men's deeds, permitting a division of
them into good and evil. In our present circumstances we are unaware of
the exact nature of those means, for our knowledge of the mutable world
in which we live is derived from the experiences we derived from it. The
other world possesses a content and characteristics which are beyond our
capacity to perceive directly or even to guess; the possibility of experiencing
it is totally excluded.
Hisham relates that he asked Imam al-Sadiq, upon whom be peace, the meaning
of the verse, At the time of resurrection, We shall set up the
scales of justice (21:47).
The Imam replied: The prophets and the legatees are the scales.
(Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. VII, p. 252)
What he meant by this was that everyone can measure his own weight and
value by comparing his faith and his deeds to theirs.
Even in the present world, there are pure, virtuous and Godfearing persons
who represent a criterion of measurement. In this world, however, many
realities are hidden; on the day of resurrection, which is the day on which
inner realities will become manifest, the nature of the scales will also
become apparent. If the word scales is in the plural in the
Qur'an, this is because the friends of God, the true exemplars of humanity
who furnish the measure against whom all persons should be measured, are
several.
A good act has two dimensions, one being its outward effect and the other
its relationship to the one who performs it. When examined with respect
to the first dimension, its external beneficial effect, the act is seen
to have practical goodness. When is examined with respect to
the second dimension, the spiritual causes that gave rise to it, it is
seen to have a goodness of agent.
Islam thus establishes criteria for the deeds and conduct of man. Not every
deed is acceptable; a deed acquires moral value only when it arises from
a pure motive. It is basing one's choices and acts on pure motives, pleasing
to God, that enables man to develop himself morally, and it is according
to those motives that he is judged.
Sometimes man bows his head in submission to the urgings of his instinctual
self acts accordingly. On other occasions he is heedful of God, the source
of all being, and reins in his self, satisfied with what God has given
him. In the former case he will have permitted the negative dimensions
of his nature to flourish, and in the latter case he will have contributed
to the growth of his positive and truly human dimensions.
How might these two types of motivation be regarded as equal: one leading
to a deed characterized by pure spirituality, and the other to a deed tainted
with hypocrisy and deceit?
Those who are heedful of God never forget that God watches vigilantly over
their behavior at all times.
The Qur'an says:
You are never in a state, nor do you ever recite a verse of the
Qur'an or engage in any other action, without My being instantly aware
of it. Not a single atom in the heavens and the earth is hidden from your
Lord; whatever exists, whether smaller than an atom or bigger than it,
is recorded in a clear book (divine knowledge) (10:61).
Criteria for Establishing the Worth of a Deed
Many people imagine that the worth of a deed depends on the extent of the
benefits to which it gives rise. They therefore assign the highest value
to a deed which appears to have greatest quantitative benefit. Such judgements
of value are based on external and socially determined criteria, and the
intention underlying a given act is never taken into consideration. It
makes no difference whether a certain benefactor simply wishes to show
off and attract the attention of society or whether he is motivated by
considerations of higher order such as a pure and lofty intention.
From a social point of view, therefore, the goodness of an action depends
on its benefit to society; the motive underlying it and the purpose informing
it are judged immaterial.
From the divine vantage point, however, the quantitative aspect of the
deed is not important at all; that which is measured to determine its acceptability
to God is the quality of the deed, the nature of the inner motives that
led to its performance. If someone embarks on a deed without being inspired
by a spirit of truthfulness and without connection to God, the source of
all being, and if his motive be hypocritical pretense and the winning of
transient fame and respect, the result will be a lowering of his moral
status.
Such lowly motivations strip apparently beneficial acts of all sincerity;
the acts become like corpses, lifeless and valueless.
To put it differently, they are like tainted goods, quite unacceptable
to God, for the author of such acts will have sold his religion in exchange
for worldly considerations and will no longer deserve God's gaze of favor
and compassion.
When judging the value of a deed, it is therefore totally incorrect simply
to examine the degree to which it benefits society; matters cannot be judged
in this pseudo-mathematical way.
A deed acquires value from the point of spiritual development only when
it acquires a heavenly aspect i.e., is oriented to the divine realm through
the flight of the spirit from the narrow cage of the instinctual self and
its acquisition of pure sincerity.
Man should become so devoted and attached to God's commands that he submits
to them unconditionally; his actions and deeds are done purely for God's
sake, his steadfastness in obedience is for God's sake, and His reward
is correspondingly with God.
It is a pure intention and aim, one in which the desire to earn God's pleasure
is present, that makes man's deeds acceptable to God and enables him to
earn lofty rank. The value of a deed is not then absolute, to be measured
by some quantitative yardstick or in accordance with human perceptions;
it is sincerity of intention that fixes its worth.
When the forces of Islam were readying themselves to fight the enemy at
the Battle of Tabuk, they needed financial support. The Prophet, peace
and blessings be upon him and his family, asked some wealthy individuals
to assume the costs of the battle, and each of them contributed to the
Muslim army to the extent his resources permitted.
A person by the name of Abu Aqil al-Ansari was able to earn two pounds
of dates by working extra hours at night, and he offered one pound to the
Prophet as his contribution. The hypocrites took advantage of the occasion
to mock the Muslims by ridiculing Abu Aqil's contribution. Thereupon a
verse was revealed which reprimanded the hypocrites and threatened them
with severe punishment in the hereafter. This is the verse:
Those who on account of their own evil nature find fault with
the contributions of obedient believers, who mock those who do not grudge
spending in the way of God whatever they are able, God mocks them and He
will punish them; a painful torment will be theirs. (9:79).
The Qur'an also says:
The good deeds of those who have no belief are like a mirage on
a flat and waterless plain: the thirsty man imagines it to be water and
he hastens towards it, but when he reaches it, he finds nothing.
(24:39).
Or again:
The deeds of those who believe not in God are like ashes that
are blown away by a strong wind; no result remains for their strivings.
This is misguidance, far removed from the right path. (14:18)
Whosoever wishes to reap the fruit of his deeds in the hereafter,
We will bestow on him a reward greater than the outcome of his deeds. Whosoever
wishes to reap the fruit of his deeds in this world, We will permit him
to enjoy it here in this world, but he shall have no share or portion in
the hereafter (42:20).
The Most Noble Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his family,
said:
When resurrection comes, a summons will be heard by all on the plain
of gathering. The summoner will say: Where are those who worshipped other
human beings? Rise up; go, seek your reward from those whom you desired
to please with your acts. I do not accept deeds tainted by worldly intent.'
(Mishkat al-Anwar, p. 312)
He also said:
The value of deeds depends on the intentions underlying them.
(Nahj al-Fasaha, p. 190)
Concerning the Qur'anic expression, in order that He might test
you to see which of you is better in deeds (67:2) Imam al-Sadiq,
upon whom be peace, said:
What is meant here is not the extent or the quantity of deeds, but
the highest degree of righteousness. Righteousness consists of the fear
of God, sincerity of intention and purity of deed. To keep a deed utterly
sincere and free of all contamination is more difficult than doing the
deed itself. A sincere deed is one in which only God's pleasure is sought
and not someone's praise. The intention is better than the deed, or is
even identical with the deed, for 'Everyone acts in accordance with
his own nature,' (7:84) which means his intention (Usul al-Kafi,
Vol. III, chapter Ikhlas)
The verses and traditions we have just cited all indicate that from the
point of view of the Creator it is the spiritual state of man that determines
whether his acts will be accepted or not, the same spiritual state that
man is aware of in himself whenever he performs any deed. This is the criterion
by which God measures and which He has communicated to mankind.
The Qur'an says:
The similitude of those who spend their wealth in God's path and
rejoice in God's favor is a seed sown in fertile ground; it receives abundant
rain in due season and bears twice the yield that was expected
(2:265).
The more a person's belief in God increases, the more clearly will the
signs of sincere devotion become manifest in his conduct, so that the desire
to earn God's pleasure comes to prevail over all other wishes.
The Qur'an informs us that the Prophet Sulayman (Solomon), upon whom be
peace, addressed God in prayer as follows:
O God, inspire me to thank you for the bounties you bestowed on
me and my parents, and to perform acts that are worthy of Your pleasure
(27:19).
Yusuf (Joseph), that sincere devotee of God, preferred the terrors of prison
to rebellion against God and becoming submersed in the whirlpool of lust.
Desirous of observing God's commands and preserving thereby his own purity,
he prayed:
O Creator, the pain of prison is better and more pleasant for
me than the pollution of sin and rebellion against You (12:33).
He firmly turned his back on outward freedom that would have drawn him
in the direction of sin, proudly choosing a dungeon in which he would enjoy
inner freedom and moral purity.
The Commander of the Faithful, Ali, upon whom be peace, said the following
in the course of the counsel he gave to Imam al-Hasan, upon whom be peace:
Blessed and fortunate is he whose knowledge and action, friendship
and enmity, seizing and loosing, speaking and remaining silent, conduct
and speech, are all devoted exclusively to gaining the pleasure of God
the Unique. (Tuhaf al-Uqul, p. 91)
This represents the highest ideal that might possibly be imagined.
Certain Islamic traditions regard obedience to divine command without any
fear of punishment or hope of reward as the special characteristic of those
who consider themselves always protected and favored by God. It is they
who attain the highest degree of sincere devotion to God and knowledge
of Him; they think of nothing but earning God's favor and worshipping Him
in obedience. This is indeed the way in which God wishes to be worshipped.
The Commander of the Faithful, Ali, upon whom be peace, describes this
group of men, in a profound and eloquent expression, as free men.
He says:
Some men worship God in order to attain reward, and this is the worship
of traders. Others worship Him out of fear of punishment, and this is the
worship of slaves. But there are others again who worship Him out of gratitude
and recognition that He is fit to be worshipped, and this is the worship
of free men. (Nahj al-Balagha, ed. Fayd, p. 1182)
Such untainted worship may also be regarded as a general and universal
phenomenon, in the sense that every existent phenomenon praises and glorifies
God through its implicit proclamation of the purpose for which it was created
and its motion toward perfection within its own particular sphere.
Man is an inseparable part of the order of creation and is indeed its most
highly developed part, and for him to separate from it would mean his collapse
and destruction. He must therefore follow the universal law of nature which
is the praise and glorification of God and sanctify all his relations with
nature by worshipping the Creator in utter sincerity.
By orienting himself clearly and unambiguously to this aim, man is able
to establish complete harmony among all the dimensions of his being and
to open the gates of well-being and salvation in this world and the hereafter.
A human action can, then, be regarded as truly good and deserving of reward
in the hereafter only when it arises from a pure and sacred motivation
that accords with a broad and profound understanding of the universe resulting
in sincere worship and an unbreakable link with the Creator. Man will then
live in the shadow of God's favor and protection and be truly worthy of
functioning as God's vice-regent on earth.
The Commander of the Faithful, Ali, upon whom be peace, humbly prayed
in these terms:
I ask of you, by Your Sacred Essence and by the greatest of Your
blessed names and attributes, that You adorn all the moments of my life,
night and day, with the remembrance of You and cause them to pass in service
and worship of You. Make my deeds worthy of Your acceptance, so that all
my acts and speech are devoted to You in utter sincerity and my inward
states are marked by submission to You.
O Master, O Being upon whom all my trust is placed, and to whom my
being complains of its distraught state!
O God, O God, O God! Strengthen my limbs and members in service to
You; bestow firm resolve on my heart; establish the foundations of my being
on fear of You; and keep me in everlasting service at Your threshold, so
that I may outstrip in devotion to You all who have preceded me; hasten
toward Your presence more swiftly than the swiftest, draw nigh to You with
a heart overflowing with love; and be sheltered by Your mercy together
with the people of sincerity and faith. (Du'a-yi Kumayl)
It is necessary for such utter sincerity to be continuous in order for
one's acts to be acceptable to God, for it is possible at all times that
righteous deeds be endangered by the effacement of their positive effects
and for their authors thus to be deprived of God's reward.
Thus Imam al-Baqir, upon whom be peace, said:
The preservation of a righteous deed is more difficult than performing
that deed in the first place. He was then asked: What is meant
by the preservation of the deed? He answered: Let us suppose
that someone makes a gift of charity in order to earn God's pleasure and
to have it recorded in his register of deeds as an act of charity unknown
to men. Then he tells someone about what he has done. The reward for hidden
charity is annulled for his act will have become public. He then tells
someone else of what he has done, and this time sincerity with which he
had performed it will be completely annulled, and he register of his deeds
will record that his act was hypocritical. (al-Kafi, Vol.
II, p. 297)
We should be aware, however, that the effect of a righteous deed disappears
and the reward for it become annulled only when the reason for making it
publicly known is hypocritical self-display, not a motive of a higher order
such as encouraging emulation by others.
The aim of Islam is to create a permanent, unbreakable and all-embracing
relationship between man and God, in such a way that man recognizes Him
as the authority to which he should turn in all things and the commands
and laws of which he should obey in every instant of his life. The presence
of this firm and lasting attachment of the heart to God makes all things
in life perfect and complete, and its absence reduces all things to meaninglessness
and absurdity.
Can anything other than belief in God and the day of resurrection and requital
impel man to act in righteousness and sincerity and to shun all forms of
personal aim and motivation?
