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The Prophet established a bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abu Darda'. Salman paid a visit to Abu ad-Darda and
found Um Ad-Darda' dressed in shabby clothes and asked her why she was in that state. She replied, "Your brother, Abu Ad-
Darda is not interested in the luxuries of this world." In the meantime Abu Ad-Darda came and prepared a meal for him
(Salman), and said to him, "(Please) eat for I am fasting." Salman said, "I am not going to eat, unless you eat." So Abu Ad-
Darda' ate. When it was night, Abu Ad-Darda' got up (for the night prayer). Salman said (to him), "Sleep," and he slept. Again
Abu- Ad-Darda' got up (for the prayer), and Salman said (to him), "Sleep." When it was the last part of the night, Salman said
to him, "Get up now (for the prayer)." So both of them offered their prayers and Salman said to Abu Ad-Darda', "Your Lord
has a right on you; and your soul has a right on you; and your family has a right on you; so you should give the rights of all
those who have a right on you)." Later on Abu Ad-Darda' visited the Prophet and mentioned that to him. The Prophet said,
"Salman has spoken the truth."
BURDENS:
2:286 - On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it
earns and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray): "Our Lord! condemn us not if we forget or fall
into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden like that which Thou didst lay on those before us;
Our Lord! lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins and
grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; help us against those who
stand against faith." 340341342
340 Cf. ii. 233. In that verse the burden was in terms of material wealth: here it is in terms of spiritual duty. Assured by
God that He will accept from each soul just such duty as it has the ability to offer, we pray further on for the fulfilment
of that promise. (2.286)
341 We must not be arrogant, and think that because God has granted us His favor and mercy we have no need to exert
ourselves, or that we are ourselves superior to those before us. On the contrary, knowing how much they failed, we
pray that our burdens should be lightened, and we confess our realization that we have all the greater need for God's
mercy and forgiveness. And so we end the whole argument of the Sura with a prayer for God's help, not in our own
selfish ends, but in our resolve to uphold God's truth against all Unbelief. (2.286)
6:31 - Lost indeed are they who treat it as a falsehood that they must meet Allah until on a sudden
the hour is on them and they say: "Ah! woe unto us that we took no thought of it"; for they bear
their burdens on their backs; and evil indeed are the burdens that they bear!. 854
854 Grievous is the burden of sins which the wicked will bear on their backs when they become conscious of them. Some
commentators personify Sins as ugly Demons riding on the backs of men, while the men's Good Deeds become the
strong and patient mounts which will carry the men on their backs. If the Good Deeds are few and the Sins many, the
man and his Good Deeds will be crushed under the load of the Evil which they carry. (6.31)
6:164 - Say: "Shall I seek for (my) Cherisher other than Allah when He is the Cherisher of all things
(that exist)?" Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens
can bear the burden of another. Your goal in the end is toward Allah: He will tell you the truth
of the things wherein ye disputed. 987
987 The doctrine of personal responsiblility again. We are fully responsible for our acts ourselves: we cannot transfer the
consequences to someone else. Nor can anyone vicariously atone for our sins. If people have honest doubts or
differences about important questions of religion, they should not start futile disputes. All will be clear in the end. Our
duty here is to maintain unity and discipline, and do the duty that comes to us. (6.164)
7:42 - But those who believe and work righteousness no burden do We place on any soul but that
which it can bear they will be companions of the garden therein to dwell (for ever).
16:25 - Let them bear on the Day of Judgment their own burdens in full and also (something) of the
burdens of those without knowledge whom they misled. Alas how grievous the burdens they
will bear! 2048
2048 Their responsibility or crime is twofold: (1) that they rejected Allah's Message, and (2) that they misled others. Their
Penalty will also be double. In vi. 164, we are told that "no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another". This is
against the doctrine of vicarious atonement. Every man is responsible for his own sins; but the sin of misleading
others is a sin of the misleader himself, and he must suffer the penalty for that also, without relieving those misled, of
their responsibility. (16.25)
17:15 - 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). 21902191
2191 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. vi. 164. But Allah never visits His wrath on anyone until due warning is conveyed to him
through an accredited messenger. (17.15)
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