but this last record is made after the deed. Whatever a person does is recorded against him—whether a statement uttered by his tongue, an action performed by his limbs, or a belief held in his heart. The angels charged with watching over the children of Adam—that is, with keeping account of their deeds—write everything down. Allah Most High says: ﴾No indeed! Rather, you deny the Recompense, though there are guardians over you, noble scribes who know all that you do.﴿ [al-Infitār: 9–12]
When the Day of Resurrection comes, he will be given this record, as Allah Most High says: ﴾We have bound every person’s deeds to his neck, and on the Day of Resurrection We shall bring forth for him a record which he will find spread open. “Read your record! Today you alone are sufficient to call yourself to account.”﴿ [al-Isrāʾ: 13–14] This means that you will be given the record and told: “Read it and call yourself to account.” One of the early Muslims said, “The One who made you judge over yourself has indeed treated you fairly.” This is true. What could be fairer than for a person to be told, “Here is what you did; call yourself to account”? Is this not perfect fairness? Indeed, nothing could be fairer.
Thus, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be given this record spread open before you, not closed. You will read it and see clearly that on such-and-such a day, in such-and-such a place, you did this and that. It is all precisely documented and cannot be altered. If you deny it, there will be witnesses against you: ﴾On the Day when their tongues will testify against them﴿—the tongue will say, “I uttered such-and-such”—﴾and their hands and feet will testify to what they used to do.﴿ [al-Nūr: 24] The hand will say, “I struck,” and the foot will say, “I walked.” Even the skin will speak: people’s skins will testify to what they touched. ﴾They will say to their skins, “Why did you testify against us?” They will reply, “Allah, who gives speech to all things, has made us speak. He created you the first time, and to Him you will be returned.”﴿ [Fussilat: 21]
This is no trivial matter—we ask Allah Most High to encompass us and you in His pardon and forgiveness. Here concludes the discussion of this magnificent surah, which Allah Most High began by swearing by the sky with its constellations and concluded with His words: ﴾Rather, it is a glorious Quran, in a Preserved Tablet.﴿ Whoever holds fast to this magnificent Quran shall attain glory, might, honor, and eminence. For this reason,