فَاليَومَ لا تُظلَمُ نَفسٌ شَيئًا وَلا تُجزَونَ إِلّا ما كُنتُم تَعمَلونَ
‘Today no soul will be wronged in the least, nor will you be requited except for what you used to do.’
EXEGESIS
Tuẓlamu (be wronged) is a passive imperfect verb from the verb ẓalama, which means he did wrong, acted or treated or used wrongfully, unjustly, injuriously, or tyrannically. It primarily signifies misplacing something or putting it where it does not belong. Such might happen unintentionally or deliberately. The verse, Indeed, Allah does not wrong [anyone] [even to the extent of] an atom’s weight, and if it be a good deed He doubles it[s reward], and gives from Himself a great reward (4:44), echoes this verse more emphatically.
Tujzawna (be requited), similar to the previous verb, is a passive imperfect verb to focus on that they would be judged with just reckoning, regardless of who would reward or punish them. The restricting phrase indicated by using the particle of negation (nor) and exception (except) signifies that the reckoning is purely based on their deeds.
EXPOSITION
We come across many verses in the Quran which deny any injustice taking place on the Day of Judgement. One may question why such an emphasis is necessary while we know that Allah is just and He would not wrong anyone. The emphasis is probably due to the enormity of punishment, or in better terms, the consequential ordeal awaiting the wrongdoers. On that day, everyone will be judged with true justice, observed rightfully; thus, no one will be treated unjustly. This is emphasised by saying nor will you be requited except for what you used to do, to eliminate every single and slightest thought of injustice in the judgement of that day. Only every individual’s deed and act will be the direct cause of reward and punishment on that day because justice is to place everything where it exactly belongs. It means giving everyone what they deserve based on their actions.
Nor will you be requited except for what you used to do means Allah would not conventionally punish anyone; rather, the deeds we do in this world, good or bad, will be with us there on that day. The same deeds will be incarnated, find existential forms, and will be with us in all stations of the Resurrection Day, and after the reckoning is complete, they will be with us as our companions. In this sense, injustice is impossible to happen. It is just the deliverance of the fruits of one’s deeds to them. In fact, injustice in such a system has no meaning at all. If injustice is possible in this world, it is because the requitals are conventional, or because there are human desires or errors involved in the judgement, or because it is not possible to gauge and balance the enormity of the deed with the size of the punishment. However, none of these are possible on that day since the deeds themselves are delivered back to people. In fact, this is not something that Allah has brought upon us – it is something that our actions have brought upon us. And this is after what is forgivable and removable is removed and forgiven, and only those who cannot receive God’s mercy would see those consequences.
Let us explain this by a more tangible example. If a state legislates a law that anyone passing a red traffic light must be executed, we may question the justice of such legislation. It is obvious that the punishment is not in proportion to the crime. It is an unjust convention to set such a big punishment for such a minor crime. However, if by passing a red light an accident occurs and a pedestrian is killed, no one would say that it was not just. Why? Because it was not a legal convention but a real repercussion. That is how things are going to be in the hereafter.
Some have considered the address nor will you be requited except for what you used to do to be an address inclusive of both righteous and evildoers. Others have considered it an address only to the evildoers because of the restricting phrase used in the verse and because God would not punish them more than they deserve. As for the believers, God would give them more than they deserve, There they will have whatever they wish, and with Us there is yet more (50:35). Thus, their rewards exceed what they deserve.
It is also said that this verse indicates that the reward for the righteous may not decrease, and the punishment of evildoers may not increase to what they really deserve. Even though there is no problem with the concept of the increment of the reward and the decrement of the punishment, this verse does not indicate the amount of the reward or the punishment to be more or less. All that is indicated is the quality of the reward that will be based on good deeds and the punishment for evil deeds.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- Regarding the hadith, ‘By My might and majesty, no injustice of an oppressor will bypass Me,’ Imam Ali (a) said: ‘Even for a slap, it will be a slap, and for a smear, it will be a smear, and even a head-butting between the horned sheep and the hornless sheep. Hence, God will avenge the people from each other until no claim of oppression remains with anyone against someone. After that, God will send them for the reckoning [of other sins].’
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then, death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
[1] Lane, p. 1921.
[2] Lane, p. 422.
[3] Mizan, 17/100.
[4] Muhammad Rayshahri, al-ʿIlm wa al-Ḥikmah fī al-Kitāb wa al-Sunnah, 2/1773.
[5] Revelation 20:11-15.