وَإِذَا الصُّحُفُ نُشِرَت
When the [scrolls of the] scriptures are unrolled.
EXEGESIS
The passive perfect tense verb nushirat means to be spread out, to be unfolded, and to be made public.
EXPOSITION
All deeds, speech, and thoughts of man are recorded (10:61, 36:12, 54:52, 8:29, 82:11), whether good (9:120-121, 21:94) or bad (78:29).
Thus, it is these records that will be laid out for every human being on the Day of Judgement: And We shall bring it out for him on the Day of Resurrection as a wide open book that he will encounter. ‘Read your book! Today your soul suffices as your own reckoner’ (17:13-14).
Nothing escapes these records, since even the most minute thing is registered therein (18:49, 54:52), and that is why the guilty will fear it due to what is in it of their reprehensible deeds. On the other hand, the good-doers will confidently say: Here, take and read my book! Indeed, I knew that I shall encounter my account (69:19-20).
It is interesting to note that the Quran says that not only will every human being be presented with its record of deeds, but also every nation: And you will see every nation fall on its knees. Every nation will be summoned to its book: ‘Today you will be requited for what you used to do. This is Our book, which speaks truly against you. Indeed We used to record what you used to do’ (45:28-29). Perhaps this verse wishes to draw our attention to the fact that mankind will be held to account at both the individual and collective level.
This spreading out of the records of the deeds of men will take place in front of all so that the good-doers may become happy and glad, whilst the evildoers may experience the psychological shame and torment that will result in the public disclosure of their misdeeds. Indeed, one of the nuanced meanings of the verb nushirat is ‘to be made public’, which would render this verse to read: When the [scrolls of the] scriptures are unrolled and made public.
The Quran also describes a specific manner in which these records will be presented to their owners, a manner which indicates redemption or lack thereof. Those who are given their records in their right hands will have an easy reckoning and will enter paradise (84:7-9, 69:19-24, 17:71), while those who will be given their records either in their left hands (69:25) or from behind their backs (84:10-12) will be disappointed and end up in perdition.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- Umm Salamah reports from the Prophet that he said: ‘Mankind will be resurrected on the Day of Judgement barefoot and naked.’ She asked: ‘But what about the women?’ He replied: ‘Mankind will be preoccupied, Umm Salamah.’ She asked: ‘And what will have pre-occupied them?’ He replied: ‘The rolling out of the scrolls of deeds in which will be recorded even the weight of an atom and the weight of a mustard seed.’
[1] Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur’ānic Usage, p. 938.
[2] Amthal, 19/453.
[3] Al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān, 20/234; Tabrisi.J, 4/449; Zubdah, 7/346.