Tafsir of Al-Qari`ah 101:6

(As for him whose scales are heavy) up to the end of the verse is a summary explanation of the division of people into two parties, and an alert to the nature of the specific states of each, following the explanation of the states that encompass everyone.

This is a reference to the weighing of deeds, which is something one is obligated to believe in as a reality, and its denier is not considered an unbeliever. It occurs after the scattering of the scrolls, their being taken by the right and left hands, and after the interrogation and the reckoning, as stated by al-Wahidi and others, and confirmed by the author of Kanz al-Asrar. It is a scale that has a tongue and two pans like the dimensions of the heavens and the earth; Allah, the Most High, knows best about its essence. This view is narrated from Ibn Abbas and al-Hasan al-Basri, and in Sharh al-Maqasid it is attributed to many exegetes. It is as if it is located between Paradise and Hell, as mentioned in Nawadir al-Usul. It is mentioned that the Throne is supported by it, and that Gabriel (peace be upon him) holds its central beam, looking at its tongue, while Michael (peace be upon him) is entrusted with it. The most famous and correct view is that it is a single scale, as we mentioned, for all nations and for all deeds.

His saying, "His scales" (mawazinuhu), is the plural of mizan (scale). Its origin is mawzan with a waw, but it was changed to a ya because of its vowellessness and the kasra preceding it. It is said that the plural is for glorification, similar to the plural in His saying: "The people of Noah denied the messengers," or it is regarding its parts, like the phrase "his hair (mafariquhu) turned grey," or it is regarding the multiplicity of individuals due to representational differentiation, as it is said in the verse: "The flashes of lightning or the radiance of suns." Al-Razi claimed—according to what is narrated from him—that there is a marfu’ (elevated) hadith regarding this. Others said that the deeds themselves are weighed, so the good deeds are depicted in beautiful, luminous forms and then placed in the scale of light—which is the right one, prepared for good deeds—and it becomes heavy by the grace of Allah, the Most High. The evil deeds are depicted in ugly, dark forms and then placed in the scale of darkness—the left one—and it becomes light by the justice of Allah. The claim that the transformation of realities in the realm of the supernatural is forbidden is rejected, or it is restricted to the survival of the traces of the original reality. Some have held the view that Allah, the Most High, creates bodies for the number of those deeds without transforming them, and claimed there is a report for this.

The apparent meaning is that "heaviness" and "lightness" are similar to what they are in the world; so, whatever is heavy descends to the bottom, then rises to ‘Illiyyin (the highest place), and whatever is light flies upward, then descends to Sijjin (the lowest place). Al-Qurtubi explicitly stated this. Some of the later scholars said they are the opposite of what is in the world, and that when a believer’s deeds outweigh, he ascends and his evil deeds become heavy, and that the disbeliever’s scale becomes heavy because the other is empty of good deeds, then he recited, "And righteous deeds uplift it." There is doubt regarding this being evidence.

Some mentioned that the manner of weighing is that all the servants' deeds are placed in the scale at once: the good deeds in the scale of light to the right of the Throne, towards Paradise, and the evil deeds in the scale of darkness towards Hell. Allah, the Most High, creates for every human an innate knowledge through which he perceives the lightness or heaviness of his deeds. Others said something similar, except that the sign of tipping the scale is a pillar of light that rises from the scale of good deeds until it covers the scale of evil, and the sign of lightness is a pillar of darkness that rises from the scale of evil until it covers the scale of good. The modalities are four, and the reality of the situation will appear through direct vision.

Al-Qurtubi said: This does not happen to everyone, because of the authentic hadith: "It will be said: O Muhammad, bring into Paradise from your nation those who have no reckoning, through the right gate..." and another concerning the prophets (peace be upon them). His saying, "The criminals will be known by their marks, so they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet," indicates that the weighing remains only for those whom Allah, the Most High, wills from the two parties. The judge Mundhir ibn Sa’id al-Balluti mentioned that the people of patience will not have their deeds weighed; rather, their reward will be poured upon them without measure. It is apparent that the hypocrite is included with the disbeliever.

The truth is that their deeds are absolutely weighed, due to the apparent meanings of the verses and numerous hadiths. The intent in the verse is a beneficial weighing. The correct view is that the Jinn, both the believers and disbelievers among them, are like humans in this matter, as established in its proper place. The categorization we are discussing, according to what you heard from al-Qurtubi, is relative to those whose deeds are weighed, not relative to people in an absolute sense.

The Mu'tazilah denied the physical reality of the scale, as did a group from the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, including Mujahid, al-Dahhak, and al-A'mash. They said that deeds are "accidents" (a'rad), and if it were possible for them to persist, it would not be possible to weigh them. Therefore, the weighing is an expression of fair judgment and just adjudication. They permitted in this context that "scales" (mawazin) could be the plural of mawzun (that which is weighed), which is the deed that has weight and significance before Allah, the Most High, and that the meaning of "its weight" is its dominance. This is also narrated from al-Farra', meaning: he whose quantity of good deeds dominates, weighs it.