There are three views among the scholars:
The first view: what is weighed is the deed.
The second view: what is weighed is the doer.
The third view: what is weighed is the records of deeds.
This is due to the differing texts on the matter.
The evidence of those who hold that the deed itself is weighed is as follows:
- Allah the Exalted says:
“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it.” [al-Zalzalah]
- The Prophet ﷺ said: “Two words, light upon the tongue but heavy on the scale.”
The evidence of those who hold that the doer of the deed is weighed is as follows:
- Allah the Exalted says:
“And on the Day of Resurrection We shall assign them no weight.” [al-Kahf: 105]
- The hadith of Ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him: when he stood up and the wind blew, the people laughed at him because his shins, may Allah be pleased with him, were thin. The Prophet ﷺ then said: “His two shins will weigh more on the scale than Mount Uhud.” (1)
The evidence of those who hold that the records of deeds are weighed is the hadith of the man with the card: “He will be brought enormous records, all of them containing sins. When he sees that he is doomed, he will be told, ‘You have one good deed with Us.’ Then a small card bearing ‘There is no god but Allah’ will be brought, and he will say, ‘My Lord, what is this card compared with these records?’”