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wa-tarā kulla ʾummatin jāthiyatan kullu ʾummatin tudʿā ʾilā kitābihā l-yawma tujzawna mā kuntum taʿmalūna
And you will see every nation fallen on its knees. Every nation will be summoned to its book: ‘Today you will be requited for what you used to do.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Jathiya - Verse 28
28. And you will see [on the Day of Resurrection] each nation humbled to their knees; each nation shall be called to its Record [of deeds]. This Day you shall be recompensed for what you used to do.
On that Day everyone shall kneel down in terror. The system of creation is kept in order and harmony and the records of human deeds are based on evidence. The blessed Verse is thus addressed to the Prophet (S): “O Muhammad! You shall see that on that Day each and every nation shall kneel out of fear and each nation shall be called to its Record of deeds.” The clause:
“[Each nation] shall be called to its Records”
apparently signifies that when on that Day all mankind shall stay motionless on their knees out of severe fear and anxiety, the Records of their deeds shall be opened and everyone will be called by his own Record of deeds, since on that Day everyone shall be known by his deeds rather than by his name and lineage. Everyone shall be recompensed according to his deeds. Some have said that everyone shall be called by the Divine Book revealed to the prophet of his time and he will be asked whether he acted upon Its Instructions. A number of points are worthy of note. Jathiya denotes kneeling down at the time of fear, awe, humility, and submission.
According to the Holy Qur’an, three types of Books and Records are mentioned for mankind on the Day of Resurrection:3 There is a Record kept for everyone in which his deeds are recorded:
“And We have fastened every man’s deeds to his neck and on the Day of Resurrection We shall bring out for him a book which he will find wide open.[It shall be said to him]: Read your book” 4 .
There is a Book for each nation in which social affairs are recorded in it, as the blessed Verse in question reads:
“Each nation shall be called to Its Book.”
All nations have one single Book in which everything and the deeds of everyone are recorded in it:
“And the Book [of one’s records] shall be placed and you shall see the sinners fearful of that which is [recorded] in it” 5 .
Footnotes