Tafsir of Al-Isra 17:71

Everyone will be called by his Imam on the Day of Resurrection Allah tells;

يوم ندعو كل أناس بٳمامهم

(And remember) the Day when We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imam (i.e. the Book of deeds). Allah tells us that on the Day of Resurrection, he will call each people to account by its Imam. The scholars differed as to the meaning of this (i.e. Imam). Mujahid and Qatadah said that; it meant each nation would be called to account by its Prophet. Some of the Salaf said; this is the greatest honor for the people of Hadith, because their leader is the Prophet. Ibn Zayd said it means; they would be called to account by their Book which was revealed to their Prophet with its laws. This was also the view favored by Ibn Jarir. Ibn Abi Najih narrated that Mujahid said, "With their Books.'' It may be that what is meant here is what Al-Awfi narrated from Ibn Abbas concerning this Ayah,

يوم ندعو كل أناس بٳمامهم

((And remember) the Day when We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imam), which is that it refers to the Book (or record) of their deeds. This was also the view of Abu Al-Aliyah, Al-Hasan and Ad-Dahhak. This view is the most correct, because Allah says:

وكل شء أحصينه فى إمام مبين

and all things We have recorded with numbers (as a record) in a Clear Book (Fi Imamin Mubin). (36:12)

ووضع الكتب فترى المجرمين مشفقين مما فيه

And the Book (one's record) will be placed, and you will see the criminals, fearful of that which is (recorded) therein. (18:49)

وترى كل أمة جاثية كل أمة تدعى إلى كتبها اليوم تجزون ما كنتم تعملون

هذا كتبنا ينطق عليكم بالحق إنا كنا نستنسخ ما كنتم تعملون

And you will see each nation humbled to their knees, each nation will be called to its record (of deeds). This Day you shall be recompensed for what you used to do. This Our record speaks about you with truth. Verily, We were recording what you used to do. (45:28-29) This does not contradict the fact that the Prophet will be brought forward when Allah judges between his Ummah, for he will inevitably be a witness against his Ummah over their deeds. But what is meant here by Imam is the Book of deeds. Allah says:

يوم ندعو كل أناس بٳمامهم فمن أوتي كتابه بيمينه فٲوليك يقروون كتابهم

(And remember) the Day when We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imam. So whosoever is given his record in his right hand, such will read their records, means, because of their happiness and joy at what is recorded therein of good deeds - they will read it and want to read it. As Allah says:

فٲما من أوتى كتبه بيمينه فيقول هاوم اقروا كتبيه

Then as for him who will be given his record in his right hand will say: "Here! read my record!) until His saying,

وأما من أوتى كتبه بشماله

But as for him who will be given his record in his left hand, (69:19-29)

وﻻ يظلمون فتيﻼ

and they will not be dealt with unjustly in the least (Fatilan). We have already mentioned that the Fatil is the long thread in the groove of a date-pit. Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar recorded a Hadith from Abu Hurayrah according to which the Prophet said, concerning the Ayah,

يوم ندعو كل أناس بٳمامهم

(And remember) the Day when We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imam

يدعى أحدهم فيعطى كتابه بيمينه ويمد له في جسمه ويبيض وجهه ويجعل على رأسه تاج من لولوة يتﻼﻻ فينطلق إلى أصحابه فيرونه من بعيد فيقولون

اللهم آتنا بهذا وبارك لنا في هذا

فيٲتيهم فيقول لهم أبشروا فٳن لكل رجل منكم مثل هذا

وأما الكافر فيسود وجهه ويمد له في جسمه ويراه أصحابه فيقولون

نعوذ بالله من هذا أو من شر هذا اللهم ﻻ تٲتنا به

فيٲتيهم فيقولون اللهم أخزه

فيقول أبعدكم الله فٳن لكل رجل منكم مثل هذا

One of you will be called and will be given his Book in his right hand. He will be in a good physical state, with a white face, and there will be placed on his head a crown of shining pearls. He will go to his companions and they will see him from afar, and will say, "O Allah, let him come to us and bless us with this.'' Then he will come to them and will say to them, "Rejoice, for every man among you will be like this.'' As for the disbeliever, his face will be black and his body will be enlarged. His companions will see him from afar and will say, "We seek refuge in Allah from this, or from the evil of this, O Allah, do not let him come to us.'' Then he will come to them and they will say, "O Allah, humiliate him!'' He will say, "May Allah cast you away, every man among you will be like this.'' Then Al-Bazzar said: "This was only reported through this chain.''