One’s Book of Record [of deeds] on display on Day or Judgment – Complete, Clear Account

17. Surah Al Isra

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَآئِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ...   

17: 13.  Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck:

C2187. Fate: Tair, literally a bird, hence an omen, an evil omen, fate.

Cf. 36:19.

The Arabs, like the ancient Romans, sought to read the mysteries of human fate from the flight of birds. And many of us in our own day seek to read our future fortunes by similar superstitions.

We read in the previous verse that there are Signs of Allah, but they are not meant to subserve the vulgar purpose of disclosing our future destiny in a worldly sense. They are meant for quite other purposes, as we have explained.

Our real fate does not depend upon birds or omens or stars. It depends on our deeds; good or evil, and they hang round our necks. (R).

...وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا ﴿١٣﴾

on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll, which he will see spread open.

C2188. These deeds, good or evil, will be embodied in a scroll which will be quite open to us in the light of the Day of Judgment, however much we may affect to be ignorant of it now or waste our energies in prying into mysteries that do not concern us.

اقْرَأْ كَتَابَكَ كَفَى بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا ﴿١٤﴾

17: 14.  (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee."

C2189. Our true accusers are our own deeds.

Why not look to them instead of vainly prying into something superstitious which we call a book of fortune or a book of omens?

مَّنِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدي لِنَفْسِهِ...   

17: 15.  Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit:

...وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا...

who goeth astray doth so to his own loss:

C2190. The doctrine of personal responsibility is insisted on, and the basis of ethics is shown to be our own good or evil as furthering or obstructing our highest development.

...وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى...

no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another:

C2191. The doctrine of vicarious atonement is condemned. Salvation for the wicked cannot be attained by the punishment of the innocent.

One man cannot bear the burden of another: that would be unjust. Every man must bear his own personal responsibility. Cf. 6:164.

But Allah never visits His wrath on anyone until due warning is conveyed to him through an accredited messenger.

...وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً ﴿١٥﴾

nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent a Messenger (to give warning).

Others version:

17: 13 [al-Israa, Mecca 50]

Yusuf Ali Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll which he will see spread open.

Pickthall And every man's augury have We fastened to his own neck, and We shall bring forth for him on the Day of Resurrection a book which he will find wide open.

Yuksel We have attached every human's deeds to his own neck, and We bring forth for him a book on the day of Resurrection which he will find on display.*

Transliteration Wa kulla insa_nin alzamna_hu ta_'irahu_ fi 'unuqih(i), wa nukhriju lahu_ yaumal qiya_mati kita_bay yalqa_hu mansyu_ra_(n).

17: 14 [al-Israa, Mecca 50]

Yusuf Ali (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee."

Pickthall (And it will be said unto him): Read thy book. Thy soul sufficeth as reckoner against thee this day.

Yuksel Read your book! Today, you suffice as a reckoner against yourself.

Transliteration Iqra' kita_bak(a), kafa_ bi nafsikal yauma 'alaika hasiba_(n).

17: 15

Yusuf Ali Who receiveth guidance receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an apostle (to give warning).

Pickthall Whosoever goeth right, it is only for (the good of) his own soul that he goeth right, and whosoever erreth, erreth only to its hurt. No laden soul can bear another's load. We never punish until We have sent a messenger.

Yuksel Whoever is guided is guided for himself, and whoever is misguided is for his own loss. No person shall carry the load of another, and We were not to punish until We send a messenger.*

Transliteration Man-ihtada_ fa innama_ yahtadi li nafsih(i), wa man dalla fa innama_ yadillu 'alaiha_, wa la_ taziru wa_ziratuw wizra ukhra_, wa ma_ kunna_ mu'azzibina hatta_ nab'asa rasu_la_(n).

[[ Yuksel’s notes - 017:013 All our intentions, words, and actions are recorded in a record. We will be impeached by this record on the Day of Judgment. See 57:22.

017:015 This verse confirms the Biblical verse Ezekiel 18:20. However, the Bible also contains verses claiming collective punishment: Exodus 20:5; Lamentations 5:7; Psalms 109:9-10. ]]