Would Allah ever decrease our good deeds?

Sources

• ✓ 4:40 · An-Nisaa

  4:40 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍۢ ۖ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةًۭ يُضَٰعِفْهَا وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًۭا

  Lo! Allah wrongeth not even of the weight of an ant; and if there is a good deed, He will double it and will give (the doer) from His presence an immense reward.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 4:40

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 4:40

  Allah Almighty informs us in this verse that no servant of His will be wronged on the Day of Resurrection, not even to the weight of a mustard seed or a tiny grain. Rather, He will fully recompense that and multiply it if it was a good deed. This is affirmed by other verses such as: "And the scales will be set up on the Day of Resurrection, so no soul will be wronged at all; even if it be the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it forth. And sufficient are We as Reckoners." (Al-Anbiya 21:47). Similarly, Allah reports from Luqman, who said: "O my son, indeed if there be the weight of a mustard seed and it is in a rock or in the heavens or in the earth, Allah will bring it forth. Indeed, Allah is Subtle and Acquainted." (Luqman 31:16). Another verse states: "The Day the people will come forth separated [into categories] to be shown their deeds. So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, And whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it." (Al-Zalzalah 99:6-8) In the two authentic collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim, from the hadith of Zayd ibn Aslam, from Ata ibn Yasar, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, regarding the long hadith of intercession, it is mentioned that Allah says: "Return, for whoever you find in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of faith, bring him out of the Fire." In another narration: "The smallest, the smallest, the smallest amount of faith, bring him out of the Fire," and thus many are brought out. Abu Sa'id said: "Read if you wish: 'Indeed, Allah does not wrong [anyone] by even the weight of an atom; and if it is a good deed, He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.'" Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Ashaj, from Isa ibn Yunus, from Harun ibn Antara, from Abdullah ibn al-Saib, from Zadhan, who said that Abdullah ibn Mas'ud explained that on the Day of Resurrection, servants, whether free or slaves, will be called by name and their rights will be demanded. Women will wish for their rights from fathers, brothers, or husbands. Then Ibn Mas'ud recited: "There will be no kinship among them on that Day, nor will they inquire about one another." (Al-Mu'minun 23:101) and mentioned that Allah may forgive some rights but will not forgive people's rights, so debts among people will be paid from the servant’s good deeds, and any surplus if the servant is a friend of Allah will be multiplied until it suffices to enter Paradise. Conversely, if he is wicked, the angels say: "O Lord, his good deeds are exhausted and many demand their rights!" Then Allah takes the bad deeds of his creditors and adds them to his bad deeds, sealing his record for the Fire. Another narration by Ibn Jarir quoting similar reports supports this. Ibn Abi Hatim also reported that this verse was revealed regarding the Bedouins. When asked about the Muhajireen, the reply was this verse's promise: "Indeed, Allah does not wrong even the weight of an atom, and if it is a good deed, He multiplies it and grants a great reward from Himself." Ata ibn Dinar, citing Said ibn Jubayr, explained that for the disbelievers, punishment is lightened on the Day of Resurrection but they will never be removed from the Fire. This is supported by a sound hadith where Abbas asked the Prophet if Abu Talib’s guarding him helped, and the Prophet replied that Abu Talib was saved from the bottom of the Fire but would have been in the lowest depths were it not for the Prophet’s intercession. This may be specific to Abu Talib alone among the disbelievers, based on other narrations. Anas related the Prophet said: "Allah does not wrong the believer a single good deed; he is rewarded in this life and recompensed in the Hereafter. The disbeliever is only fed good deeds in this world, but on the Day of Resurrection, he will have no good deeds." Notable scholars including Abu Hurayrah, Ikramah, and others interpret: "And gives from Himself a great reward" as meaning Paradise. Imam Ahmad narrated from a chain involving Abu Hurayrah that Allah gives a believer a thousand thousand good deeds for every single good deed he performs, emphasizing the vast multiplication of rewards described in this verse. Regarding the phrase: "So how [will it be] when We bring from every nation a witness and We bring you as a witness over these," Allah describes the tremendous and solemn nature of the Day of Judgment when witnesses from every nation, meaning the prophets, will be brought forth. This is supported by verses such as: "And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the Book will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and it will be judged between them in truth, and they will not be wronged." (Az-Zumar 39:69) and "And [mention, O Muhammad], the Day We will resurrect among every nation a witness over them from themselves. And We bring you as a witness over these." (An-Nahl 16:89). Al-Bukhari related from Ibn Mas’ud that the Prophet said: "Recite to me," Ibn Mas’ud responded, "O Messenger of Allah, should I recite what was revealed to you?" The Prophet said, "Yes, I like to hear it from others." Ibn Mas’ud recited Surah An-Nisa until this ayah, upon which the Prophet said, "That is enough," and his eyes teared. This report exists in multiple chains and is supported by other narrations. Ibn Jarir also quoted from Ibn Muhammad al-Zuhri, who related from an authoritative chain that the Prophet said: "I was a witness over my people while I was among them, and when I die, you will be the overseer over them." Concerning the testimony of the Prophet on his nation, Al-Qurtubi narrated a report from Ibn al-Mubarak who learned from a person of the Ansar, who related from Al-Minhal ibn Umar, who heard Said ibn al-Musayyib say that every day the Prophet’s nation is brought to him morning and evening, and he knows them by their names and deeds, thus he witnesses over them. This confirms the meaning of the verse and the decisive end of the matter regarding prophetic witness. There may be some ambiguity about an unnamed person in this report, but it is generally accepted. Concerning the phrase: "On that Day, those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish the earth were leveled over them," this indicates their despair and fear of the severity and humiliation of that Day. Just as another verse says: "The Day the human will see what his hands have sent before and the disbeliever will say, 'O I wish I were dust!'" and they will not hide anything from Allah, acknowledging all their deeds. Ibn Jarir reports that Ibn Abbas said the disbelievers say: "By Allah our Lord, we were not polytheists," hoping to deny their charge, but Allah seals their mouths and their hands and feet testify to their polytheism, leading to their regret and desire for the earth to swallow them. Juwair reported that referring to this passage, Ibn Abbas said it means that Allah will gather all people in one plain on the Day of Judgment, and the polytheists will deny their association with polytheism, but their limbs will bear witness against them. Thus, this extensive commentary explains the balance of justice on the Day of Resurrection, the absolute fairness of Allah's recompense even to the smallest deed, the intercession and mercy shown to believers even for minimal faith, the severity of the condition of disbelievers, the prophetic witnessing over his nation, and the great distress of those who reject the truth on that Day.

• ✓ Sahih al-Bukhari 81:80

  Sunni SAHIH

  Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 81, Hadith 80 · Narrated by Ibn Abbas

  Allah wrote down the good deeds and the bad deeds and explained it, saying: Whoever intends to do a good deed but does not do it, Allah writes it down for him as a complete good deed; but if he intends it and then does it, Allah writes it down for him from ten to seven hundred times or even many more times. And whoever intends a bad deed but does not do it, Allah writes it down for him as a complete good deed; but if he intends it and does it, Allah writes it down for him as one bad deed.