Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:30)

Commentary on the Quran (Chapter 3:30)

By: Mohammad Sobhanie

The Personification of Deeds in the Hereafter

يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ مُّحْضَرًا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوءٍ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدًا بَعِيدًا ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ ‎﴿٣٠﴾‏

3:30 On the day that every soul shall find present what it has done of good and what it has done of evil, it will wish that between itself and that (evil) was a great distance. And Allah (SWT) warns you, and Allah (SWT) is Kind to (God’s) servants.

Commentary: This verse is linked to the one before it and highlights that our actions will be displayed to us on the Day of Judgment [1]. The following is the translation of the verse:

(Remember) the day (يَوْمَ) that every soul (كُلُّ نَفْسٍ) shall find (تَجِدُ) present (مُّحْضَرًا) what it has done of good (مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍ) and what it has done of evil (وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوءٍ).

Those who have done good would be pleased to witness their actions, but those who have sinned would be terrified and desire a significant separation from their wrongdoings:

… تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدًا بَعِيدًا ۗ … ‎﴿٣٠﴾‏

3:30 …it will wish that between itself and that (evil) was a great distance.

The verse cautions people against disobeying Allah (SWT) but also brings comforting news that God is kind to those who serve God:

… وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ رَءُوفٌ بِالْعِبَادِ ‎﴿٣٠﴾‏

3:30 And Allah (SWT) warns you, and Allah (SWT) is Kind to (God’s) servants.”

Some commentators believe that “the display of deeds” implies the presence of rewards and punishments or the Book of Deeds itself. But these interpretations do not align with the meaning of the verse since it explicitly states that on the Day of Resurrection, individuals will come across the deed itself (يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ مَّا عَمِلَتْ). In addition, the verse suggests that the sinner desires to separate themselves from their wrongful actions rather than the consequences that come with them (تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُ أَمَدًا بَعِيدًا).

Additional verses also support the idea that deeds would be personified in the afterlife. For instance, verse 18:49 (Al-Kahf) says,

… وَوَجَدُوا مَا عَمِلُوا حَاضِرًا ۗ وَلَا يَظْلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا ‎﴿٤٩﴾

18:49 …And they will find what they did present (before them). And your Lord does injustice to no one.

Verses 99:7-8 (Az-Zalzala) explicitly states that we will see our deeds, no matter good or bad, large, or small:

فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ ‎﴿٧﴾‏ وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ ‎﴿٨﴾‏

99:7-8 So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.

Verse 57:13 (Al-Hadid) states that good deeds will appear as the light in the Hereafter, and hypocrites will try to seek the light from believers:

يَوْمَ يَقُولُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتُ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا انظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِن نُّورِكُمْ قِيلَ ارْجِعُوا وَرَاءَكُمْ فَالْتَمِسُوا نُورًا فَضُرِبَ بَيْنَهُم بِسُورٍ لَّهُ بَابٌ بَاطِنُهُ فِيهِ الرَّحْمَةُ وَظَاهِرُهُ مِن قِبَلِهِ الْعَذَابُ ‎﴿١٣﴾‏

57:13 On the (same) Day the hypocrite men and hypocrite women will say to those who believed: “Wait for us that we may acquire some of your light.” It will be said, “Go back behind you and seek light.” And a wall will be placed between them with a door, its interior containing mercy, but on the outside of it is torment.

The idea of personifying deeds in the Hereafter is present in many traditions. The Prophet (PBUH) once advised someone regarding this concept and said [2]:

وَ إِنَّهُ لا بُدَّ لَکَ یا قَیْسُ مِنْ قَرِین یُدْفَنُ مَعَکَ وَ هُوَ حَیٌّ وَ تُدْفَنُ مَعَهُ وَ أَنْتَ مَیِّتٌ فَإِنْ کانَ کَرِیماً أَکْرَمَکَ وَ إِنْ کَانَ لَئِیماً أَسْلَمَکَ ثُمَّ لایُحْشَرُ إِلاّ مَعَکَ وَ لاتُحْشَرُ إِلاّ مَعَهُ وَ لاتُسْأَلُ إِلاّ عَنْهُ فَلاتَجْعَلْهُ إِلاّ صالِحاً فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ صَلَحَ آنَسْتَ بِهِ، وَ إِنْ فَسَدَ لاتَسْتَوْحِشُ إِلاّ مِنْهُ وَ هُوَ فِعْلُکَ:

O! Qays! You will inevitably have a companion buried with you after death. He will be alive while your body is buried in the grave (while your spirit is alive). If your companion is good and honorable, he will honor you. If he is vile, he will subject you to unpleasant events. You and your companion will be resurrected and come together to the resurrection scene. You will not be questioned about anything except about him (the companion). So, it’s essential to choose your companion wisely. If you decide virtuously, you will have a good companion in the afterlife. If not, you should fear no one but him. That companion is your actions.

Rewards and Punishes in the Hereafter: Every action has a hidden reality that will become apparent in the afterlife. These realities can bring either comfort or punishment. For example, verse 4:10 (An-Nisa) mentions that devouring the property of orphans will manifest as a fire in the belly of those who do so:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَىٰ ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًا ۖ وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًا ‎﴿١٠﴾

4:10 Indeed, those who devour the property of orphans unjustly are only consuming into their bellies fire. And they will be burned in a Blaze.

Appendix:

The word “Muhdaran” (مُّحْضَرًا) translates to “presented,” implying that Allah (SWT) is aware of our deeds and that God has preserved them. This concept of preserving deeds is echoed in verse 50:4 (Qaf), which reads, “with Us is a retaining record (of deeds)” (وَعِندَنَا كِتَابٌ حَفِيظٌ). On the day of Judgment, our deeds will become present before us.

[1] Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol.2, P.504

[2] Tafseer-e-Namoona, Vol.2, P.508