The 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th verses too speak about the unraveling of the deeds. They say that deeds whether good or bad will totally handed over and man will receive all of them. (Reflect)

The verses tell us that he will receive the deeds and not the rewards or punishments for them. The 7th verse says:

““And all are classified according to their deeds and so that they may be recompensed (By God)”

Their deeds will be handed over to them without omission or commission and they will not be unjustly dealt.

The 8th verse speaks about the court of the Day of Judgment, their books of deeds, the gathering of the witnesses and that no one will unfairly dealt with and God knows all that they do.

The 9th says the same thing. It is said:

“And every soul will be paid in full for its deeds, and God knows best all that they do.”

The 10th verse too deals with the same subject more vastly. It is said:

““All the good you do shall be rendered back to you and you shall not be dealt unjustly.”

The words “Wuffiyat”, “Tuwaffa” and “Yuwaffa” all originate from the word “Wafa” which means to reach perfection. “Tufiyah” is to fulfill something totally and “Tuwaffa” means to take something completely. Verse 10 of Surah Zumar says: “Those who patiently preserve will receive a reward without measure.”

In the above verse and according to the other words of God it says“They will receive their own deeds”. As we will discuss later there is no contradiction in their meanings because what we discern from the verses of the Qura’n is that on that Day people will be compensated for their deeds and the deeds themselves will be presented before the people. It is just like a person who breaks the traffic has to pay the fine as well face what he did.

Many commentators have taken these verses to mean that it is about the rewards of the deeds but this is without proof. We will study many verses and traditions later which clearly confirm that on the Day of Judgment mankind will see his deeds. We will keep these verses as they literally mean and continue with the discussion about the unraveling of the deeds. Some commentators and researchers have also taken this path.

The 11th verse speaks about the wealth that the people hoard and do not spend and they will be severely punished for this. It then says:

“On the Day it will be heated in the fire of Hell and with which will be branded their foreheads, their flanks and their backs, this is what you hoarded for yourselves then taste what you hoarded.”

The verse clearly states that if the wealth is only hoarded and not spent then they will be unraveled on the Day of Judgment. They will heated in the fire of Hell and the foreheads, backs and sides of the hoarders will be branded with them and they will be told, “ This is what you hoarded as a treasure.”

Why will only these three parts be branded? The answer is that these are the important parts of the body.

Some have said that since they used to make before the beggars then tried to avoid them by turning their backs to them so these three portions of the their bodies will be burnt. (1)

Some have said when these lovers of wealth gained their objective and became wealthy then they would first have a good laugh and their faces would be happy about it. Then they would make merry (by pumping their armpits) and make good use of this wealth by making costly dresses and put them behind their backs, so these three parts would be burnt. (2)

Though this verse does not clearly describes the unraveling of the deeds but only speaks about the presentation of the wealth but this it can be taken as unraveling of deeds because the coins become extinct but on the Day of Judgment they will return and will used to burnt their foreheads, sides and backs.

Does this verse say that whoever hoards money excess to that of his needs then he has committed a sin and is liable to be punished by God or is this verse about those person who did not pay their dues like Zakat but a person who fulfills his duties, gives his Zakat and does not sin, will he not be punished?

The jurists, commentators and the Ulema of hadith prefer the second meaning. There are various hadiths about in the Shia and Sunni annals and there is a hadith about the Messenger where he is supposed to have said:

“Any wealth for which Zakat has been given is not a hoarded treasure. (3)

It has also been said that when the Islamic society faces a financial crises because of hoarding of wealth then it is the duty of the wealthy to give charity or invest money and help the needy overcome their problems. If they refrain from doing in such a situation then this verse will fulfilled on them. There is a hadith from Amirul Muminin in which he is reported to have said:

“Every amount above four thousand Dirhams should be counted as treasure whether the Zakat has been given or not. What ever amount is below this figure is for the worldly needs. And so give the people this dreadful news!”(4)

1. Tafsir Majmaul Bayan vol.5 page 26

2. These reasons have been given by Fakhr Razi in Tafsir Kabeer vol.16 page 48 and also Tafsir Ruhul Ma’ani, Ruhul Bayan and Qartabi.

3. Tafsir al Minar vol. 1 page 406, Sahih Bukhari vol.1 part 3 page 132 and Tafsir Nurus Saqlain vol. 2 page 213.

4. Tafsir Nurus Saqlain vol.2 page 213 hadith 132.