Surah Al-Qari'ah, Ayah 3

Which was revealed in Makkah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Al-Qariah is one of the names of the Day of Judgement, like Al-Haqqah, At-Tammah, As-Sakhkhah others

Then Allah intensifies concern and fright for it by saying,

وَمَآ أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْقَارِعَةُ

(And what will make you know what Al-Qari`ah is) Then He explains this by saying,

يَوْمَ يَكُونُ النَّاسُ كَالْفَرَاشِ الْمَبْثُوثِ

(It is a Day whereon mankind will be like moths scattered about.) meaning, in their scattering, their dividing, their coming and their going, all due to being bewildered at what is happening to them, they will be like scattered moths. This is like Allah's statement,

كَأَنَّهُمْ جَرَادٌ مُّنتَشِرٌ

Human Deeds, Good or Bad, will be Weighed

This Surah mentions the weighing of human deeds. He whose scales are heavy will be led to Paradise, and he whose scales are light will be led to Hell. Please see Ma’ ariful Qur'an, Vol. 3/ pp 539-547, for a full and complete analysis of the Weighing of human deeds. The analysis also allays the doubts raised against the concept of weighing of deeds.

We have also explained there that it appears from reconciliation of conflicting narrations and Qur'anic verses that the weighing on Plain of Resurrection will take place twice. The first weighing will be to separate the believers from the non-believers. Anyone whose Book of Deeds is put on the scale and contains the belief ('Iman) will be heavy, and the scale of anyone whose Ledger of Deeds does not contain 'Iman will be light. At this stage, the believers will be separated from the non-believers. Weighing on the second time will be to distinguish between good and evil deeds of the believers. The reference, in the present Surah, is probably to the first weighing in which the scale of every believer will be heavy regardless of his other deeds, while the scale of an unbeliever will be light, even though he might have performed some good acts.