When Hidden Deeds Are Shown

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فِي الْآخِرَةِ يَظْهَرُ مِيزَانٌ لَا يُخْطِئُ وَلَا يَمِيلُ

In the Hereafter, a scale will appear that neither errs nor sways,

مِيزَانٌ يُظْهِرُ كَثَافَةَ الْمَعَانِيَ فِي الْأَعْمَالِ

a scale that reveals the density of meanings in deeds.

فَالْحَقُّ يَمْنَحُ الْعَمَلَ كَثَافَةً تُثَبِّتُهُ

For truth grants density to the work, making it firm,

وَالْبَاطِلُ يَنْفُخُهُ هَوَاءً ثُمَّ يَتْرُكُهُ فَارِغًا

while falsehood inflates it with air, leaving it empty.

الْأَعْمَالُ تُجَسِّدُ صَلَاةٌ بِإِخْلَاصٍ تَصْبَحُ ثَقِيلَةً هَادِئَةً

Deeds take form: a sincere prayer becomes heavy and calm,

وَصَدَقَةٌ رِيَاءً تَفْقِدُ وَزْنَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَمَسَّ الْكِفَّةَ

and charity with hypocrisy loses its weight before it even touches the scale.

كَلِمَةُ ذِكْرٍ خَفِيَّةٍ وَرَدُّ أَمَانَةٍ وَكَفُّ أَذًى عَنْ طَرِيقِ النَّاسِ كُلُّهَا تَزْدَادُ ثِقَلًا بِقَدْرِ الصِّدْقِ فِيهَا

A hidden word of remembrance, returning a trust, and withholding harm from people's paths—all increase in weight according to the sincerity within them.

الْمَعْصِيَةُ تُثْقِبُ ثَوْبَ الْعَمَلِ كَمَا تَفْعَلُ الْعُثَّةُ بِالْقُطْنِ

Sin pierces the garment of a deed like a moth does to cotton;

لَا تُرَى سَرِيعًا لَكِنَّ الْمُحَصِّلَةَ خِفَّةٌ مُقْلِقَةٌ

it's not seen quickly, but the result is a disturbing lightness.

الْكَافِرُ لَا يَقُومُ لَهُ وَزْنٌ لِأَنَّ أَعْمَالَهُ لَا تَرْتَبِطُ بِأَصْلِ الْحَقِّ

The disbeliever has no weight because his deeds are not connected to the source of truth;

تَلْمَعُ كَالْأَلْعَابِ النَّارِيَّةِ لَحْظَةً ثُمَّ تَصِيرُ رَمَادًا

they glimmer like fireworks for a moment, then turn to ashes.

وَأَمَّا الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُخْتَلِطُ عَمَلُهُ

As for the believer whose deeds are mixed:

إِنْ رَجَحَتْ سَيِّئَاتُهُ عُوقِبَ بِقَدْرِهَا

If his bad deeds outweigh, he will be punished proportionally,

ثُمَّ تَرْفَعُهُ بَقِيَّةُ تَوْحِيدِهِ وَأَعْمَالُهُ الصَّادِقَةُ

then what remains of his belief in God's oneness and his sincere deeds will elevate him;

فَالْأَصْلُ الصَّالِحُ لَا يَزُولُ بِزَلَّةٍ مَا دَامَ قَائِمًا

for a righteous origin does not vanish with a single misstep as long as it stands.

لَيْسَ مِعْيَارُ الْمِيزَانِ الضَّوْضَاءَ وَلَا عَدَدَ الْمُشَاهِدِينَ بَلْ صِدْقُ النِّيَّةِ وَمُوَافَقَةُ الْهُدَى

The criterion for the scale is not noise nor the number of viewers, but sincerity of intention and adherence to guidance.

لِذَلِكَ قَدْ يَسْبِقُ هَمْسُ أَسْتَغْفِرُ الله ضَجِيجَ خُطْبَةٍ تُطْلَبُ بِهَا السُّمْعَةُ

Therefore, the whisper 'I seek God's forgiveness' may outweigh the noise of a sermon given for reputation.

وَالْمِيزَانُ يُذَكِّرُنَا بِقَاعِدَةٍ عَمَلِيَّةٍ

And the scale reminds us of a practical rule:

امْلَأْ يَوْمَكَ بِحَقَائِقَ صَغِيرَةٍ مَتِينَةٍ نِيَّةٍ مُصَحَّحَةٍ صَلَاةٍ عَلَى وَقْتِهَا كَلِمَةِ عَدْلٍ عَفْوٍ عِنْدَ الْقُدْرَةِ

Fill your day with small, sturdy truths—a corrected intention, a prayer on time, a word of justice, forgiveness when able—

وَتَجَنَّبْ مَا يَلْمَعُ ثُمَّ يَنْهَارُ

and avoid what glimmers then collapses.

وَالْوَزْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ

The weighing on that Day will be true:

فَاجْعَلْ فِي كِفَّتِكَ مَا يَثْبُتُ أَمَامَ الْحَقِّ لَا مَا يَطِيرُ مَعَ أَوَّلِ نَفْخَةِ رِيحٍ

so place in your scale what stands firm before the truth, not what flies away with the first gust of wind.