وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُۥ 8
Translations
And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it.
Transliteration
Wa man ya'mal mithqāla dharratin sharran yarah
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah establishes the principle of absolute divine justice on the Day of Judgment, affirming that even an atom's weight of evil will be seen and accounted for by its doer. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this ayah, paired with the preceding verse about good deeds, demonstrates Allah's perfect knowledge and equitable recompense—nothing is too small to escape divine reckoning, whether good or evil.
Revelation Context
Surah Az-Zalzalah was revealed in Madinah and describes the cosmic upheaval of the Day of Judgment. This ayah concludes the surah's core message about accountability, providing reassurance that justice is absolute and that every action—no matter how seemingly insignificant—carries weight in Allah's sight.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said in Sahih Muslim: 'Guard yourself against the Fire even if it is with half a date; and if you cannot find that, then with a kind word.' This hadith complements the ayah by showing that even the smallest good or evil deed matters. Additionally, the hadith in Sahih Bukhari about actions being judged by intentions reinforces that accountability extends to the minutest deeds.
Themes
Key Lesson
No action is too small to escape divine accountability; believers should be mindful that every deed—good or evil—will be witnessed and weighed on Judgment Day, encouraging conscientiousness in both major and minor matters of conduct.
Related Ayahs
كَذَٰلِكَ نَفْعَلُ بِٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ
Thus do We deal with the criminals.
ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ وَٱلنُّورَ ۖ ثُمَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ
[All] praise is [due] to Allāh, who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and the light. Then those who disbelieve equate [others] with their Lord.
فَيُعَذِّبُهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْعَذَابَ ٱلْأَكْبَرَ
Then Allāh will punish him with the greatest punishment.
ضَرَبَ لَكُم مَّثَلًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ هَل لَّكُم مِّن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُم مِّن شُرَكَآءَ فِى مَا رَزَقْنَـٰكُمْ فَأَنتُمْ فِيهِ سَوَآءٌ تَخَافُونَهُمْ كَخِيفَتِكُمْ أَنفُسَكُمْ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نُفَصِّلُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
He presents to you an example from yourselves. Do you have among those whom your right hands possess [i.e., slaves] any partners in what We have provided for you so that you are equal therein [and] would fear them as your fear of one another [within a partnership]? Thus do We detail the verses for a people who use reason.