The Types Of Actions That Will Be As Scattered Dust - Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali

 

The First: One having deeds from which he hopes good but they end up scattered dust and are altered to evil deeds. Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says,

وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَسَرَابٍ بِقِيعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ الظَّمْآنُ مَاء حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءهُ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئًا وَوَجَدَ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ فَوَفَّاهُ حِسَابَهُ وَاللَّهُ سَرِيعُ الْحِسَابِ

“As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are as a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water till he comes to it and finds it naught, and finds, in the place thereof, Allaah Who will pay him his due; and Allaah is swift at reckoning.¹

(An-Nur 24:39)

وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَى مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاء مَّنثُورً

“And We shall turn unto the work they did and make it scattered motes.²

Fudayl said concerning this verse, ”And there will appear unto them from their Lord, that wherewith they never reckoned,” ‘They worked deeds thinking them to be good when in reality they were evil.’

The Second: Close to the above: a servant commits an evil deed to which he pays no regard, thinking it insignificant, and that sin will be the cause of his perdition as Allaah says,

"…you counted it a trifle but in the sight of Allaah it is very great." ³

One of the Companions said, ‘You are doing deeds that are, in your eyes, more insignificant than a hair, whereas at the time of the Messenger of Allaah صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم we would consider them to be destructive sins!.’⁴

The Third: Worse than the previous case: one to whom the evil of his conduct seems pleasing. Allaah, Exalted is He says,

“Say: Shall We inform you who will be the greatest losers by their works? Those whose efforts go astray in the life of the world, and yet they reckon that they do good work.⁵

Ibn Uyaynah said, ‘When death came to Muhammad ibn Al-Munkadir he became apprehensive and so the people summoned Abu Hazim and he came. Ibn al-Munkadir said to him,” Allaah says, ‘And there will appear unto them, from their Lord, that wherewith they never reckoned,’ and I fear that things will become clear to me and confront me that Inever expected. ’Then both of them broke down in tears.’ Recorded by ibn Abi Hatim and ibn Abi Al-Dunya adds in his report, ’So his family said, ”We called you that you may console him but you have only increased his apprehension!” He then told them of what he had said.⁶

Fudayl ibn Iyad said, I have been informed that it was said to Sulayman al-Taymi, ”You! Who is there like you!” He said, ”Quiet! Do not say this! I do not know what will appear before me from Allaah, I have heard Allaah saying,” And there will appear unto them, from their Lord, that wherewith they never reckoned.”⁷

The Fourth: Sufyan ath-Thawri would say upon hearing this verse, ’Woe to the people of ostentation.’⁸ This can be seen in the Hadith about the three who would be the first to be hurled into the Fire: the scholar, the one who gave charity, and the Mujahid.⁹

The Fifth: The one who has worked righteous deeds but has also wronged others and he thinks that his deeds will save him, so there confronts him that which he was not expecting. All of his deeds are apportioned amongst those who he wronged then some wrong still remains to be requited, and so their evil deeds are piled onto his and as a result he is hurled into the Fire. ¹⁰

The Sixth: His account could be scrutinized at which it will be asked of him to show how he was grateful for the blessings granted him. The least blessing would be balanced against his deeds and outweigh them with the remaining blessings yet to be weighed! This is why the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said, ”Whoever’s account is scrutinized will be punished, or will be destroyed.” ¹¹

The Seventh: He could have evil deeds that destroy some of his deeds or the deeds of his limbs, save Tawhid,  as a result of which he will enter the Fire. Ibn Majah records the hadith on the authority of Thawban that the Messenger of Allaah صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said, ’There are people amongst my nation who will come with deeds like mountains and Allaah will render them as scattered dust.’ This hadith goes on to mention, ”They are people who have your skin, (they speak your language), ¹² they spend part of the night in prayer as you do, but they are people who, when they are alone, violate the prohibitions of Allaah.” ¹³

Yaqub ibn Shaybah and ibn Abi al-Dunya record on the authority of Salim, the freed-slave of Abu Hudhayfah, that the Messenger of Allaah صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said, “A group of people will be brought on the Day of Judgment with deeds like Mount Tihamah and Allaah will render their deeds to dust and they will be thrown face first in the Fire.” Salim said, ”I fear that I am one of them! He صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said, ”They would fast, pray, and apportion some of the night for worship, but in secret, when an opportunity to do something forbidden presented itself, they would take it and as such Allaah will invalidate their deeds.” A person could have his deeds annulled because of showing off or arrogance and the likes yet not even be aware of it!

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[Transcribed from: The Journey to Allaah, page 82-87 of Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali رحمه الله]

Footnotes:

1. An-Nur 24:39
2. Al-Furqan 25:23
3. An-Nur 24:15
4. Bukhari no.6492 on the authority of Anas
5. Al-Kahf 18:103-104
6.Ibn al-Jawzi,vol.2,p.167 no.185.
7.Dhahabi, Tadhkiratu’l-Huffaz,vol.1, p. 151
8.Qurtubi,vol.15, p. 265

9.Muslim no. 1905/4923 on the authority of Abu Hurayrah with the words, ’The first man (whose case) will be decided on the Day of Judgment, will be a man who died as a martyr. He shall be brought forth and Allaah will recount His blessings (which he had bestowed upon him) and he will acknowledge them. Then Allaah will ask, ’What did you do with them?” He will reply, ”I fought for Your sake until I died as a martyr.” Allaah will say, ’You lie. You fought so that you might be called a ‘brave warrior’ and you were called so. ’Then a command will be given and he will be dragged on his face and cast into Hell.

And a man who acquired knowledge and taught it and recited the Qur’an. He will be brought forth and Allaah will recount His blessings (which he had bestowed upon him) and he will acknowledge them. Then Allaah will ask, ”What did you do with them?” He will say, ”I acquired knowledge and disseminated it and recited the Qur’an so that it might be said, ’He is a Qari,and it was said. Then a command will be given and he will be dragged on his face and cast into Hell.

And a man who Allaah had made abundantly rich and had granted every kind of wealth. He will be brought forth and Allaah will recount His blessings (which He had bestowed upon him) and he will acknowledge them. Then Allaah will ask, ”What did you do with them?”He will say, ”I spent money in every cause in which You wished that it should be spent for Your sake.” Allaah will say, ”You lie. You did so that it might be said, ”He is generous,” and it was said. Then a command will be given and he will be dragged on his face and cast into Hell.”

10. Muslim no. 2581/6579 records on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallaam) asked, ’Do you know the bankrupt person is? ’They said, ’A bankrupt man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth. ’He said, ’The bankrupt person of my nation would be he who comes on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakat but he hurled abuses upon this person ,brought calumny against that person, unlawfully consumed the wealth of that person, shed the blood of that person, and beat that person. So his good deeds would be credited to the deeds of those people [by way of retaliation] and if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, their sins would be added to his and he would be thrown in the Fire.”

Muslim no.2582/6580 record on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Mesenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallaam) said, ’All rights will be restored to their owners on the Day of Judgment.Even a hornless goat that is butted by a ram will have justice.”

11. Bukhari no. 6537 and Muslim no. 2876/7227, 7228 on the authority of Aishah. The wording of Bukhari has Aishah then asking, ’Does not Allaah say, ”Then who is given his Record in his right hand, soon will his account be taken by an easy reckoning,’ [al-Ishiqaq 84:7-8], He replied, ”That is not the scrutiny that is a presentation, whoever’s account is scrutinized will be punished.”
Bukhari no.6536 and Muslim no.2876/7225 on the authority of Aishah.This wording mentioned above is also recorded by Tirmidhi no.3338 on the authority of Anas.

Hakim no.8728 and Dhahabi said the isnad contained a weak narrator. Ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 13, p.360, has the wording,… ”will not be forgiven,” and ibn al-Mubarak, al-Zuhd no.1324  also records this wording as a statement of Aishah.

12. This sentence is not found in the hadith of Ibn Majah.

13. Ibn Majah no.4245. Busayri said, ’Its isnad is sahih and it was declared sahih by Albani, no. 2346.