FRIDAY LEARNING ZONE FROM WESSEX JAMAAT
16th Rabi’ al-Thani 1428 AH / 4th May 2007
No. 18
NAAMA-E-A’MAAL (SCROLL OF DEEDS) – CON’T
The question that arises here is: Who writes the scroll of deeds? The answer to this question has been provided in the Holy Quran.
KIRAAMAN KATIBEEN
“Indeed there are over you watchers. Noble writers. Who know whatever you do”. (82:10-12)
So there are angels who watch our deeds. They write down everything that a man does, or sees or even intends. These angels have been called Kiraaman Katibeen meaning the ‘noble writers’. In Dua’ Kumayl, Imam Ali (as) has also mentioned them at one place when he (says): “And the noble writers whom you have entrusted to record whatever is hidden from me”.
RAQEEB & ‘ATEED
In another place, the angels have also been referred to as Raqeeb and ‘Ateed.
Allah (SWT) says: “…He says no word but there is a ready observer beside him”. (50:18) Many Mufassireen are of the opinion that the angel who sits on the right is known as ‘Raqeeb’ whereas the one on the left is ‘Ateed.
Whatever the case, Allah (SWT) has kept angels who record our thoughts, words and actions. Words and actions are apparent so they can be easily recorded. How do they know our thoughts? Someone asked the Imam (as) of his time: “How could KIRAAMAN KATIBEEN know of the intentions (thoughts) of people so as to record them?” Imam (as) replied, “When a person intends to do good, sweet fragrance emits from his mouth and the angels come to know of his intention. Whereas, when a person intends to do bad, a foul odour emits from his mouth and the angels come to know of his intention”. (Manazil al-Aakhirah)
However, there are two important points that have to be noted here and these points reflect the RAHMAH of Allah (SWT) upon us: One is that when a person intends to do any good, before he actually performs it, the thawaab of intention is written down. Whereas a person who intends to do anything bad, it is not written until the person actually performs it. And the second thing is that when a person does one good deed, the reward of that good action will be multiplied by ten. Whereas when a person does anything bad; The Angels give him seven (7) hours to repent before they write down his bad deed. And if he doesn’t repent, THEN only the bad deed is written without any multiplication.
It is this scroll of deeds that will be presented to man on the day of Qiyamah, which will shock him and he will say: “What a book is this! It omits nothing, big or small, without enumerating it”. (18:49)
Shaykh Sadooq (ar) in ‘E’tiqaadaat al-Imaamiyyah’ has related that one-day, Imam Ameer al-Mumineen Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) passed by some youths who were who were busy in vain and useless gossip, and they were laughing. Imam (as) told them, “Why do you blacken your scrolls with such vain talks?” They asked, “O Maula! Are these also recorded?” Imam (as) said, “Yes! And even the breath you exhale. The reward of removing a thorn or a stone or a skin from the path of people are also recorded. These small deeds too, do not go wasted”. (Al-Ma’ad)