- Actions that Allāh Turns into Scattered Dust -
Ibn Rajab (rahimahullāh) in his book “The Journey to Allāh” enlightens on the types of actions that will be as scattered dust.
The First: They worked the deeds thinking, hoping them to be good when in reality they were evil, and ends up as scattered dust.
Allāh Almighty says:
“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, Allāh Who will pay him his due; and Allāh is swift at reckoning”.[Surah An-Nur 24:39]
Allāh also says:
“And We shall turn unto the work they did and make it scattered motes” [Surah Al-Furqan 25:23]
Fudayl Ibn Iyad (rahimahullāh) said concerning this verse, “And there will appear unto them from their Lord, that wherewith they never reckoned,” means: ‘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 disregards it, thinking it insignificant, and that sin will be the cause of his perdition. Allāh Almighty says:
“…you counted it as trivial but in the sight of Allāh it is very great.” [An-Nur 24:15]
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 Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) we would consider them to be destructive sins!’ [Al-Bukhari no.6492 on the authority of Anas bin Malik (radiyallāhu’anhu)]
The Third: Another category is worse than the previous case; they are the one who find pleasing with his evil deeds.
Allāh Almighty 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'. [Al-Kahf 18:103-104]
Ibn Uyaynah (rahimallāh) said, ‘When death came to Muhammad Ibn Al-Munkadir (rahimallāh) he became apprehensive and so the people summoned Abu Hazim and which he came. Ibn Al-Munkadir (rahimallāh) said to him: “Allāh says, ‘And there will appear unto them, from their Lord, which deeds they never reckoned,’ and I fear that things will become clear to me and confront me that I never expected”. Then both of them broke down in tears. Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Abi Al-Dunya add 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. [Ibn al-Jawzi, vol.2, p.167 no.185]
Fudayl Ibn Iyad (rahimallāh) 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 Allāh, I know Allāh’s saying, “And there will appear unto them, from their Lord, that deeds they never reckoned.” [Dhahabi, Tadhkiratu’l-Huffaz, vol.1, p.151.]
The Fourth: The people of pretentiousness (Al-Riyaa’)
Sufyan Ath-Thawri (radiyallāhu’anhu) would say upon hearing this verse, “Woe to the people of ostentation.” [Qurtubi, vol.15, p.265] This can be seen in the Hadith Rasulullah (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) indicated about the three who were hurled into the Fire: the Mujahid, the scholar, and the rich who gave charity for they had done it on the basis of Al-Riyā' and had missed the element of “Al-Ikhlās (Sincerity)” in their deeds. It was ruined because it was bonded by the minor shirik of Al-Riyā'.
Abu Hurayrah (radiyallāhu’anhu) narrated the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said:
‘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 Allāh will recount His blessings (which he had bestowed upon him) and he will acknowledge them. Then Allāh will ask, ‘What did you do with them?” He will reply, “I fought for Your sake until I died as a martyr.”Allāh 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 Allāh will recount His blessings (which he had bestowed upon him) and he will acknowledge them. Then Allāh 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 Allāh had made abundantly rich and had granted every kind of wealth. He will be brought forth and Allāh will recount His blessings (which He had bestowed upon him) and he will acknowledge them. Then Allāh will ask, “What did you do with them?”He will say, ‘I spent money in every case in which You wished that it should be spent for Your sake.’ Allāh 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.”
[Recorded by Muslim No.1905/4923]
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.
Abu Hurayrah (radiyallāhu’anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said:
‘Do you know the bankrupt person is?’They said, ‘A bankrupt man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him or 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.” [Recorded by Muslim No: 2581/6579]
Allāh Says:
“O you, who believe, avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicion is a sin. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it. And have fear of Allāh. Verily, Allāh is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful.” [Surah Al Hujurat, 49: 12]
Messenger of Allāh, (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), said: “Arrogance is refusing the truth and belittling people”. [Recorded by Muslim]
‘Abdur-Rahmān Ibn Mahdī (rahimahullāh), the Imām, the Hujjah, said: “If I did not hate that Allāh be disobeyed, I would have wished that there was no one left in the whole city except that he has backbitten me! What is more rewarding than a man finding a good deed (written) in his book for something he did not even do?!”
Abu Hurayrah (radiyallāhu’anhu) that the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) 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.” [Recorded by Muslim no.2582/6580]
The Sixth: His account could be scrutinised 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 (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “Whoever’s account is scrutinised will be punished, or will be destroyed.” Aishah (radiyallāhu’anha) then asking: ‘Does not Allāh 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)? The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) replied: “That is not the scrutiny that is a presentation, whoever’s account is scrutinised will be punished.” [Recorded by Al-Bukhari No.6537 and Muslim No: 2876/7227, 7228 on the authority of Aishah (radiyallāhu’anha).]
The wording mentioned above is also recorded by Tirmidzi No: 3338 on the authority of Anas bin Malik (radiyallāhu’anhu).
It is also recorded by 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.
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 Mājah (rahimahullah) records the hadith on the authority of Thawban (radiyallāhu’anhu) that the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: “There are people amongst my nation who will come on the Day of Judgment with deeds like mountains and Allāh will render them as scattered dust.”
In another hadith it goes on to mention, “They are people who have your skin, (they speak your language), [This sentence is not found in the hadith of Ibn Majah] they spend part of the night in prayer as you do, but they are people who, when they are alone, violate the prohibitions of Allāh Almighty.” [Recorded by Ibn Majah No: 4245; Busayri said its isnad is sahih.]
Ya’qub Ibn Shaybah and Ibn Abi Al-Dunya (rahimahullah) record on the authority of the freed-slave of Abu Hudhayfah (radiyallāhu’anhu), Salim (radiyallāhu’anhu), who said that the Messenger of Allāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: ‘A group of people will be brought on the Day of Judgment with deeds like Mount Tihāmah and Allāh will render their deeds to dust and they will be thrown face first in the Fire.’ Salim (radiyallāhu’anhu) said, ‘I fear that I am one of them.'
Rasulullah (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) added: ‘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 Allāh 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.
[Excerpted from: “The Journey to Allāh” by Ibn Rajab (rahimallāh): an explanation to the hadith “Your actions alone will not save any of you” (Al-Bukhari No: 6463)]
Courtesy: The Right Path
May Allah accept all our good deeds and grant us forgiveness and mercy. Ameen.