Surah Yaseen (36) — Ayah 12

(Ayah 12) ➊ { اِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْيِ الْمَوْتٰى :} That is, We will resurrect all of them after death, those also who persisted in disbelief despite your warnings, and those who, after hearing your admonition, followed it, so that We may reward them for their deeds. Some commentators have interpreted the revival of the dead as bringing the polytheists out of polytheism into faith, but in context, the first meaning is more apparent.

➋ { وَ نَكْتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُوْا :} And whatever good or bad deeds they have done, We are writing all of them. By this is meant those deeds which they themselves performed in their lifetime.

➌ { وَ اٰثَارَهُمْ : ’’ اٰثَارَ ‘‘ ’’أَثَرٌ‘‘} is the plural. There are two interpretations regarding its explanation: one is that it refers to the good or bad deeds of other people, performed during their lifetime or after their death, for which they became the cause, and due to their words, actions, or any state, others adopted those deeds. Thus, due to their invitation, admonition, enjoining good, forbidding evil, or striving in the way of Allah, or due to their teaching or writing, whatever good deeds people performed during their life or after their death, or if they built a mosque, school, or anything beneficial for people from which people continued to benefit after their death, all will be written in their record of deeds. The same applies to bad deeds which, due to them, people performed during their life or after their death; those too will be recorded in their book of deeds. Jarir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ مَنْ سَنَّ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً فَلَهُ أَجْرُهَا وَ أَجْرُ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَّنْقُصَ مِنْ أُجُوْرِهِمْ شَيْءٌ وَمَنْ سَنَّ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ سُنَّةً سَيِّئَةً كَانَ عَلَيْهِ وِزْرُهَا وَ وِزْرُ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْقُصَ مِنْ أَوْزَارِهِمْ شَيْءٌ] [ مسلم، الزکاۃ، باب الحث علی الصدقۃ… : ۱۰۱۷ ] "Whoever introduces a good practice in Islam (i.e., something from the Book and Sunnah), he will have its reward and the reward of those who act upon it after him, without their reward being diminished in the least. And whoever introduces a bad practice in Islam (i.e., something against the Book and Sunnah or an innovation), he will bear its burden and the burden of those who act upon it after him, without their burden being diminished in the least." Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِذَا مَاتَ الْإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلَّا مِنْ ثَلَاثَةٍ إِلَّا مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُوْ لَهُ ] [ مسلم، الوصیۃ، باب ما یلحق الإنسان … : ۱۶۳۱ ] "When a person dies, his deeds are cut off except for three things: ongoing charity, or knowledge from which people benefit, or a righteous child who prays for him." From this verse and these hadiths, the greatness and virtue of the acts of invitation, teaching, and striving in the way of Allah are known.

The second interpretation of {’’ اٰثَارَهُمْ ‘‘} is that it means that even the traces of the steps taken towards good or evil are written by Allah Almighty. Thus, Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that when some plots of land around the Prophet's Mosque became vacant, the tribe of Banu Salamah intended to move closer to the mosque. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was informed of this, he said: "I have been informed that you intend to move closer to the mosque?" They said: "Yes, O Messenger of Allah! We have intended this." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ يَا بَنِيْ سَلِمَةَ! دِيَارَكُمْ! تُكْتَبْ آثَارُكُمْ دِيَارَكُمْ! تُكْتَبْ آثَارُكُمْ ] [ مسلم، المساجد، باب فضل کثرۃ الخطا إلی المساجد : ۶۶۵ ] "O Banu Salamah! Stay in your homes, your footsteps will be recorded. (O Banu Salamah!) Stay in your homes, your footsteps will be recorded." Ibn Kathir said, there is no contradiction between this interpretation and the first; rather, according to this interpretation, taking {’’ اٰثَارَهُمْ ‘‘} to mean deeds performed due to following someone is even more appropriate, because when even the traces of footsteps are recorded, then certainly the deeds in which a person becomes an example for others are even more deserving to be recorded.

➍ By { وَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ اَحْصَيْنٰهُ فِيْۤ اِمَامٍ مُّبِيْنٍ: ’’ اِمَامٍ مُّبِيْنٍ ‘‘} is meant the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz), in which Allah Almighty has already recorded every event that will occur, or it is the record of deeds of every person in which every small or great deed is recorded in full detail, as Allah Almighty has said: «يَوْمَ نَدْعُوْا كُلَّ اُنَاسٍۭ بِاِمَامِهِمْ » [ بني إسرائیل : ۷۱ ] "The Day We will call every people with their Imam." Here, Imam means their book of deeds. The mention of this clear book is found in several places in the Noble Qur'an. See Surah Az-Zumar (69) and Al-Kahf (49). Here, taking {’’ اِمَامٍ مُّبِيْنٍ ‘‘} to mean the record of deeds is more appropriate, although after coming into existence, only that will be recorded in it which has already been recorded in the Preserved Tablet.