He whose scales are heavy.. and he whose scales are light... [al-Qari'ah 101:6-7]

فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ

فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَّاضِيَةٍ

وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ

فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا هِيَهْ

نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ

“He whose scales are heavy” [Qari'ah 101:6] according to Allah’s measures and His
evaluation, “shall enjoy a life of satisfaction”.

Allah makes this statement general without any detailed information. Thus, the statement imparts to man’s feelings the connotations of content and satisfaction or, indeed, pure happiness. “But he whose scales are light”, according to the same measures of Allah and His evaluation, “shall have the abyss for his home”

The Arabic text uses the term “mother” for what is rendered here as “home”. It is to his mother that a child turns for help and protection as he seeks shelter and security at home. But such people with light scales can turn and resort only to the abyss! The expression is a fine one, beautifully ordered. It has also a shade of obscurity preparing the way for subsequent clarification which adds to the depth of the intended effect: ” Would that you knew what this is like!” It is again the cryptic exclamation used often in the Qur’an which emphasises that it is beyond comprehension and vision.

Then comes the answer in the closing note: “It is a raging fire”. So this is the mother of the one whose scales are light. This is his mother to whom he turns for help and protection and for security and comfort. But what does he find with such a mother? - The abyss and the raging fire. It is  a sudden shock rendered by the expression to represent the hard reality.


[Fi Dhilal al Qur'an -in the shade of the Quran - Surah al Qari'ah]