فَأَمّا مَن أوتِيَ كِتابَهُ بِيَمينِهِ فَيَقولُ هاؤُمُ اقرَءوا كِتابِيَه
As for him who is given his book in his right hand, he will say: ‘Here, take and read my book!
EXEGESIS
From this verse to verse 37, a detailed account is related of the differences on Resurrection Day between the states of the felicitous versus the wretched. These accounts are a continuation from the previous verse because, you will be exposed and none of your secrets will remain hidden, occurs when the felicitous are given their scroll of deeds in their right hand (this verse) and the wretched in their left (verse 25).
Here, take and read is in the second person plural, indicating it is addressed to a group and not an individual.
The Arabic letter hāʾ right at the end of the verse (the last letter of kitābiyah), as well as its repeated occurrence in several of the following verses in this passage, is to mark a pause (waqf) called the pausal hāʾ (hāʾ al-istirāḥah) in Arabic grammar.
‘Here, take and read my book!’ is said by the felicitous to the angels, as if inviting their acknowledgement to their having succeeded. It could also be an address to fellow believers out of overwhelming joy and being unable to contain their excitement. Receiving one’s book in one’s right hand brings about a profound realisation that one has finally made it to paradise and will now never know unhappiness or suffering, for all eternity, and that God’s promise has come true: any good that you send ahead for your souls, you shall find it with Allah (2:110).
EXPOSITION
The Quran always associates the felicitous with the right hand (17:71, 57:12, 69:19, 84:7) and the wretched with the left (verse 25), who are also, at times, described as those who shall be given their books from behind his back (84:10). The two groups are at times referred to as the people of the right hand (aṣḥāb al-yamīn) (56:8, 56:27, 56:90-91, 74:39) and the people of the left hand (aṣḥāb al-shimāl) (56:41). They are also referred to as the people of felicity (aṣḥāb al-maymanah) (59:8) and the people of wretchedness (aṣḥāb al-mashʾamah) (56:9).
The book or scroll of deeds that is given to people on the Day of Judgement is what was recorded by the angels assigned uniquely to each person in this world (82:10-12). It is handed to the owner of the deeds to witness for himself when he stands before God for accounting. It is not however a literal book, one made of paper and ink, as is explained under the Exposition of 82:11.
The right hand versus the left hand may also be a reference to the source from which an individual’s record of deeds is derived. In the dimension of creation that we might refer to as the hereafter, good and evil do not mix (36:59), and the record of the pious is preserved in the ʿilliyyūn (83:18-21), whereas the record of the vicious is kept in the sijjīn (83:7-9). Thus, being given his book in his right hand may simply mean being given his scroll of deeds from the ʿilliyyūn.
And the righteous who will say ‘here, take and read my book’ are not restricted to only those who never erred; for if that were the case then it would only apply to an infallible. The verse is universal enough to cover all the faithful. What then of the sins they committed in ignorance that the angels would have recorded? Various traditions relate that because the faithful were constantly repentant and strove to please their Lord, not only will He forgive and erase those sins from their book of deeds but, out of His love and compassion for them, He will transform the evil to good and record that time in their life as one in which righteous acts were done; and this is the meaning of the verse, Except those who repent, attain faith, and act righteously. For such, Allah will replace their misdeeds with good deeds (25:70).
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- From the Prophet: ‘Allah will bring close [His] servant on the Day of Resurrection and get him to confess to all his sins until he senses that he is doomed. Then Allah, the exalted, will say to him: “I concealed them for you in the world and I forgive you them this day.” Then he will be given his book of good deeds in his right hand.’
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
- Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
[1] Ahmad, 2/74; Ibn Kathir, 8/230, from Bukhari and Ibn Majah.
[2] Psalms 16:8-9.
[3] Psalms 16:11.