Burden

لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتۡ وَعَلَيۡهَا مَا ٱكۡتَسَبَتۡۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذۡنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوۡ أَخۡطَأۡنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحۡمِلۡ عَلَيۡنَآ إِصۡرٗا كَمَا حَمَلۡتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِنَاۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلۡنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦۖ وَٱعۡفُ عَنَّا وَٱغۡفِرۡ لَنَا وَٱرۡحَمۡنَآۚ أَنتَ مَوۡلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ ٢٨٦

Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. He gets reward for that which he has earned, and he is punished for that which he has earned. (Believers, pray thus to your Lord): ‘Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error, our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which you did lay on those before us; Our Lord! Put not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Pardon us and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. You are our Maula, and give us victory over the disbelieving people’

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah Verse 286

• Man’s answerability to Allah is limited by the extent of his ability. If a man does not have the ability to do a certain thing, Allah will not take him to task for not having performed it. In the same way, if it is really beyond a man’s ability to abstain from something, Allah will not blame him for having failed to abstain from it. It should be noted here that man will not be the final judge as to whether he had the ability to do something or not. Such judgement will be made by Allah alone.
• Every man will be rewarded for the services he has rendered. None will be rewarded for services rendered by others. The same applies to punishment. It is the one who is guilty who will be punished. It is, however, possible that a man has initiated either good or bad practices; they will continue to affect people’s lives. The resulting good and bad deeds of people will be reckoned either to their credit or against them, since they are clearly related to their efforts and action. It is impossible, however, that a man should be either rewarded for an act of goodness or punished for an act of evil in which he has had no share – neither by intent nor practical action. The requital of acts is not transferable.
• It is said that those who commit error need three things:

1. Allah’s forgiveness for what is between Him and them
2. That Allah conceal these errors from His other servants, and thus does not expose them before the servants; and
3. That Allah grants them immunity from further error

• Maula: Supporter, Helper, Protector. One who is sought for each and every type of help and on whom is our total reliance

يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُمۡ وَيَهۡدِيَكُمۡ سُنَنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ وَيَتُوبَ عَلَيۡكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ ٢٦ وَٱللَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَيُرِيدُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ أَن تَمِيلُواْ مَيۡلًا عَظِيمٗا ٢٧ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ أَن يُخَفِّفَ عَنكُمۡۚ وَخُلِقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ ضَعِيفٗا ٢٨

Allah wishes to make clear (what is lawful and what is unlawful) to you, and to show you the ways of those before you, and accept your repentance, and Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise. Allah wishes to accept your repentance, but those who follow their lusts, wish that you (believers) should deviate tremendously away (from the Right Path). Allah wishes to lighten (the burden) for you; and man was created weak.

Surah 4 An-Nisa Verses 26-28

• Allah has made clear the rulings, simplifying things so as to reduce the burden that man might know the limits ordained by Him, and do not deviate tremendously from them. If you try to abide by the limits made clear, small deviations are known and repented for might be forgiven by the Grace of Allah

وَمَن يَكۡسِبۡ إِثۡمٗا فَإِنَّمَا يَكۡسِبُهُۥ عَلَىٰ نَفۡسِهِۦۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمٗا ١١١ وَمَن يَكۡسِبۡ خَطِيٓ‍َٔةً أَوۡ إِثۡمٗا ثُمَّ يَرۡمِ بِهِۦ بَرِيٓ‍ٔٗا فَقَدِ ٱحۡتَمَلَ بُهۡتَٰنٗا وَإِثۡمٗا مُّبِينٗا ١١٢

And whoever earns sins, he earns it only against himself. And Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise. And whoever earns a fault or a sin and then throws it on to someone innocent, he has indeed burdened himself with falsehood and a manifest sin.

Surah 4 An-Nisa Verses 111-112

قَدۡ خَسِرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِلِقَآءِ ٱللَّهِۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَآءَتۡهُمُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ بَغۡتَةٗ قَالُواْ يَٰحَسۡرَتَنَا عَلَىٰ مَا فَرَّطۡنَا فِيهَا وَهُمۡ يَحۡمِلُونَ أَوۡزَارَهُمۡ عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِمۡۚ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ ٣١

They indeed are losers who denied their Meeting with Allah, until all of a sudden, the Hour (signs of death) is on them, and they say: ‘Alas for us that we gave no thought to it’, while they will bear their burdens on their back; and evil indeed are the burdens that they will bear.

Surah 6 Al-An’am Verse 31

• As-Suddi said: “Upon entering the grave, every unjust person will meet a man with an ugly face, dark skin, awful odour, wearing dirty clothes, who will enter his grave with him. When the unjust person sees him, he will say, “How ugly is your face!” He will reply, “So was your work, it was ugly”. The unjust person will say, “How foul is the odour coming from you!” He will reply, “Such was the case with your work, it stunk”. The unjust person will say, “How dirty are your clothes!” He will reply, “And your work too was dirty”. The unjust person will ask, “Who are you?” He will reply, “I am your deeds”. So he will remain with the unjust person in his grave, and when he is resurrected on the Day of Resurrection, his companion will say to him, “In the life of the world, I used to carry you because you followed desire and lust. Today, you carry me” So he will ride on the unjust person’s back and lead him until he enters Hell Fire [‘burdens that they will bear’]

قُلۡ أَغَيۡرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبۡغِي رَبّٗا وَهُوَ رَبُّ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖۚ وَلَا تَكۡسِبُ كُلُّ نَفۡسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيۡهَاۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٞ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ فِيهِ تَخۡتَلِفُونَ ١٦٤

Say: ‘Shall I seek a Lord other than Allah, while He is the Lord of all things? No person earns any (sin) except against himself, and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, so He will tell you that wherein you have been differing’

Surah 6 Al-An’am Verse 164

لِيَحۡمِلُوٓاْ أَوۡزَارَهُمۡ كَامِلَةٗ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ وَمِنۡ أَوۡزَارِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُم بِغَيۡرِ عِلۡمٍۗ أَلَا سَآءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ ٢٥

They will bear their own burdens in full on the Day of Resurrection and also of the burden of those whom they misled without knowledge. Evil indeed is that which they shall bear.

Surah 16 An-Nahl Verse 25

• ‘They’ referred to in the verse are the ‘proud’ and disbelieving people
• A Hadith states; ‘Whoever invites people to guidance, he will receive a reward like that of those who follow him, without diminishing their reward in the least. And whoever invites people to misguidance, he will bear a burden of sin like that of those who follow him, without diminishing their burden in the least’

مَّنِ ٱهۡتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهۡتَدِي لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيۡهَاۚ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٞ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰۗ وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبۡعَثَ رَسُولٗا ١٥

Whoever goes right then he goes right only for the benefit of his own self. And whoever goes astray then he goes astray to his own loss. No one laden with burdens can bear another’s burden. And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning).

Surah 17 Al-Isra Verse 15

كَذَٰلِكَ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآءِ مَا قَدۡ سَبَقَۚ وَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَٰكَ مِن لَّدُنَّا ذِكۡرٗا ٩٩ مَّنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَنۡهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَحۡمِلُ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ وِزۡرًا ١٠٠

…And indeed, We have given you from Us a Reminder (this Quran). Whoever turns away from it, verily they will bear a heavy burden on the Day of Resurrection.

Surah 20 Ta-Ha Verses 99-100

• ‘turns away from it’ – this means anyone who:

• Denies the Quran
• Does not follow the commands of the Quran
• Seek guidance from other than the Quran

• ‘burden’ – here means sin

وَلَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ وَلَدَيۡنَا كِتَٰبٞ يَنطِقُ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَهُمۡ لَا يُظۡلَمُونَ ٦٢

And We task not any person except according to his capacity, and with Us is a record which speaks the truth, and they will not be wronged.

Surah 23 Al-Muminun Verse 62

• ‘except according to his capacity’ – Allah does not place on anyone a burden greater than that which he can bear. Just before this verse Allah talks about those people who hasten to do good deeds and supersede others in attaining them. In other words, there is nothing superhuman about the character and conduct required of man. All human beings are made of the same flesh and blood, and are capable of establishing very high standards of conduct. Hence, it does not hold water for some people to claim that the kind of character required of them is beyond their capacity. A person’s conduct results from his own choice: which of the two acts (good or evil), each of which he is capable of adopting, does he prefer? If someone makes the wrong choice and , thereafter, devotes his efforts to accumulating evil and distancing himself from good, his plea that good deeds were simply beyond his power will be of no avail and he will be made to suffer the consequences of his wrong choice. If such people in fact proffer this pretext, saying that the way enjoined by Allah was beyond their capacity, they are bound to face the question: If that is so, how was it that many people like them were able to follow that way?
• ‘and they will not be wronged’ – means, nothing will be omitted from their record of good deeds. As for evil deeds He will forgive and overlook many of them in the case of His believing servants

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّبِعُواْ سَبِيلَنَا وَلۡنَحۡمِلۡ خَطَٰيَٰكُمۡ وَمَا هُم بِحَٰمِلِينَ مِنۡ خَطَٰيَٰهُم مِّن شَيۡءٍۖ إِنَّهُمۡ لَكَٰذِبُونَ ١٢ وَلَيَحۡمِلُنَّ أَثۡقَالَهُمۡ وَأَثۡقَالٗا مَّعَ أَثۡقَالِهِمۡۖ وَلَيُسۡ‍َٔلُنَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ عَمَّا كَانُواْ يَفۡتَرُونَ ١٣

And those who disbelieve say to those who believe: ‘Follow our way and we will, verily, bear your sins’. Never will they bear anything of their sins. Surely, they are liars. And verily, they shall bear their own loads and other loads besides their own; and verily, they shall be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about that which they used to fabricate.

Surah 29 Al-Ankabut Verses 12-13

وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٞ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰۚ وَإِن تَدۡعُ مُثۡقَلَةٌ إِلَىٰ حِمۡلِهَا لَا يُحۡمَلۡ مِنۡهُ شَيۡءٞ وَلَوۡ كَانَ ذَا قُرۡبَىٰٓۗ إِنَّمَا تُنذِرُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخۡشَوۡنَ رَبَّهُم بِٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَأَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۚ وَمَن تَزَكَّىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَتَزَكَّىٰ لِنَفۡسِهِۦۚ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ ١٨

And no bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden; and if one heavily laden calls another to (bear) his load, nothing of it will be lifted even though he be near of kin. You (O Muhammad, pbuh) can warn only those who fear their Lord unseen and perform As-Salat. And he who purifies himself then he purifies only for the benefit of his own self. And to Allah is the Return.

Surah 35 Fatir Verse 18

• ‘purifies himself’ – from all kinds of sins by doing righteous deeds and seeking forgiveness
• ‘those who fear their Lord unseen’ – the only ones who will draw a lesson are those who are possessed of insight and wisdom, who fear their Lord and who do as He commands.

إِن تَكۡفُرُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنكُمۡۖ وَلَا يَرۡضَىٰ لِعِبَادِهِ ٱلۡكُفۡرَۖ وَإِن تَشۡكُرُواْ يَرۡضَهُ لَكُمۡۗ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٞ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ ٧

If you disbelieve, then verily, Allah is not in need of you, He likes not disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He is pleased therewith for you. No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another. Then to your Lord is your return, so He will inform you what you used to do. Verily, He is the All-Knower of that which is in (mens) breasts.

Surah 39 Az-Zumar Verse 7

أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٞ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰ ٣٨ وَأَن لَّيۡسَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ ٣٩ وَأَنَّ سَعۡيَهُۥ سَوۡفَ يُرَىٰ ٤٠ ثُمَّ يُجۡزَىٰهُ ٱلۡجَزَآءَ ٱلۡأَوۡفَىٰ ٤١ وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡمُنتَهَىٰ ٤٢

That no burdened person shall bear the burden of another. And that man can have nothing but what he does. And that his deeds will be seen. Then he will be recompensed with a full and the best recompense. And that to your Lord is the End.

Surah 53 An-Najm Verses 38-42

• ‘…nothing but what he does’ – A Hadith states: ‘Verily, the best type of provision that one consumes is from what he himself has earned, and one’s off springs are among what he has earned’. The ongoing charity is among the traces of his own actions and deeds. Another Hadith states: ‘Whoever invites to guidance, he will earn as much rewards as those who follow him, without decreasing anything out of their own rewards’

لِيُنفِقۡ ذُو سَعَةٖ مِّن سَعَتِهِۦۖ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيۡهِ رِزۡقُهُۥ فَلۡيُنفِقۡ مِمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُۚ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا مَآ ءَاتَىٰهَاۚ سَيَجۡعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بَعۡدَ عُسۡرٖ يُسۡرٗا ٧

Let the rich man spend according to his means, and the man whose resources are restricted, let him spend according to what Allah has given him. Allah puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given him. Allah will grant after hardship, ease.

Surah 65 At-Talaq Verse 7

END OF CHAPTER