The reality of the Book of Deeds

SiteTitle

صفحه کاربران ویژه - خروج
ورود کاربران ورود کاربران

LoginToSite

SecurityWord:

Username:

Password:

LoginComment LoginComment2 LoginComment3 .
SortBy
 
The Book of Deeds in Islamic traditionsThe Philosophy of the Book of Deeds

There is no doubt that the book of deeds will not be like any other book of paper but will a writing that can speak and which no can deny. The proof of this is that if it was a book made of paper then thousands of pages would be needed to inscribe the deeds of a single person and it would not be easy for common people to study it. Then it cannot be a source of shame for the sinner and pride for the pious while many verses and hadiths clearly signify that the deeds of men will be written in such a manner than all can be studied by s ingle glance.

The common writings are not such that they cannot be denied while the verses and hadiths tell us that its ins c r i p tions cannot be denied and they cannot even deny that this is their books of deeds.

The book of deeds has been interpreted in many ways and it needs profound knowledge to study them.

(1) Some have said: “ this is like the human soul on which are etched the effects of the deeds” (1)

This is the interpretation of Mulla Faiz kashani and it suggests that the book of deeds is a symbol for the human soul that is etched with his deeds.

It is clearly that this symbolism is not supported by the Qura’nic verses because Qura’n says the pious people will be given their books in the right hand and the evil ones in the left or from behind their backs. This des c r i p tion does not confirm the above interpretation. There is only one way that all words like “Yameen and Shumal” are taken symbolically but this will be against the words of the verse which is not permissible. This interpretation is not compatible even with the one that speaks about the “flying of the books”.

Allama Tabatabai has interpreted this in Al Mizan and he has quoted verse 30 of Surah Al Imran, “ On the Day every person will be confronted with all the good and evil he has done” the Allama says:

This book will be based on the reality of human deeds. This will be no ordinary book of lines or symbols like the books of the world but they will be like the human deeds that God will remind the humans. There will be no better proof than it reading. This book is unseen by the human eyes. God will open it on the Day of Reckoning and remove the screen of ignorance telling the truth to them. “ (2)

This interpretation is not compatible with the des c r i p tion of the angels who write the deeds and their features because the reality of deeds literally means those signs that they etch on the human souls. The objection to Late Faiz Kashani is valid here also.

The author of Ruhul Ma’ani has given this interpretation a great attention and then he too accepts that this interpretation is not compatible with the words of the verse. (3)

It is possible that we that the human deeds as they affect their souls so they affect the outer world, the atmosphere, the land on which he dwells and other factors. The deeds leave their impression on them, a natural impression that cannot be denied, an impression that is helped by the energy of this world and the angels . On the Day of Reckoning the screens will be removed and every deed shall be revealed. All the affects will be gathered at one place in a compact way and then will be handed over to each person . One glance at them will give the full details.

These affects are not comprehensible to us in this world but their existence is a reality. We will see them the day we are endowed with the new vision and confirm them.

The Archaeologists can reveal the form and life of different relics and statues. These statues are not living beings but are the relic of what was before. Actually these stone are the records of human deeds and cannot be denied.

We do not say that the book of deeds will be like this because it has often been repeated that we have a very scanty knowledge about the Day of Reckoning.

We do not say that the book of deeds will not be like this on the Day of Reckoning because it has often been repeated that we have very scanty knowledge about that Day but from certain indications we find that the affects can be similar to one another.

Imam Sadiq is reported to have said in one tradition:

“ By reading the book of deeds man will as aware as he was just after committing them and he will say, “ “Woe to us! What sort of book is this that does not omit any thing small or big but has numbered them.” (4)

Some commentators have opined that the book of deeds of a person is his conscience. It has been readily proved in psychology that the deeds of men affect his self or subconscious . This interpretation is similar to that of Faiz kashani and others. Actually this is a new form of any old opinion.

We4 mentioned four interpretations about the book of deeds in which the second is better suited than others.

We can either say that the issue of book of deeds is present in various verses of the Qura’n and also in traditions so we must believe in it even though we do not have the full details and it is the same about the other features of the Day of Judgment or we can say that the affect of the book of deeds is the same as the external effects. On the Day of Judgment all these signs will be gathered and given in our hands. In other words it is the original collection of effects and can be compared to video and audio cassettes or fossils. We did not say that it will be exactly like this but what we say is that it will be something similar.

 


 

1. Tafsir Safi verse 13 Surah Isra
2. Tafsir Al Mizan vol. 13 page 58 for verse 13 of Surah Isra.
3. Tafsir Ruhul Ma’ani vol.15 page 32
4. Tafsir Nurus Saqlain vol.3 page 267 hadith 115

 

The Book of Deeds in Islamic traditionsThe Philosophy of the Book of Deeds
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Lotus
Mitra
Nazanin
Titr
Tahoma