Al-W¥^idÏ's Asb¥b al-Nuz‰l - The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies ...

Chapter 99: Surah al-Zalzalah
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
Abu Mansur al-Baghdadi and Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Muzakki informed us> Abu ‘Amr ibn Matar>
Ibrahim ibn ‘Ali al-Dhuhli> Yahya ibn Yahya> ‘Abd Allah ibn Wahb> Huyayy ibn ‘Abd Allah> Abu ‘Abd
al-Rahman al-Hubuli> ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr who said: “(When the earth is shaken with her (final) earthquake…)
was revealed while Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be well pleased with him, was sitting down.
When he heard it, Abu Bakr wept. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, asked
him: ‘Why are you crying’ Abu Bakr said: ‘This Surah is making me cry’. Upon which the Messenger
of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: ‘If you did not make mistakes or commit sins, Allah
would have created after you a nation of people who make mistakes and sin and then Allah would forgive
them [after they repent to Him]’ ”. 1
(And whoso doeth good an atom’s weight will see it then, and whoso doeth ill an atom’s weight will
see it then) [99:7-8].
Said Muqatil: “These two verses were revealed about two men. One of them deemed it unworthy to give
beggars one date, a small piece of bread or one walnut, saying to himself: ‘Such things are nothing. We
only get rewarded when we give away something that we love’. The other man used to belittle minor sins
such as small lies, backbiting and looking at that which is unlawful, saying to himself: ‘No onus is on me
because of engaging in this, for Allah threatens with hellfire only those who commit enormities’. And so
Allah, exalted is He, revealed these two verses, encouraging people to perform even small acts of goodness,
for they add up in the final run, and cautioning them against even small sins, for they add up in
the final run (And whoso doeth good an atom’s weight will see it then, and whoso doeth ill an atom’s weight
will see it then)”. 2
1
Tabari, :268-269; Qurtubi, :146; Durr, :594.
2
Qurtubi, :151.