The Almighty God says in the Holy Qur’an:
"So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it."
(Qur’an, Surah Al-Zalzalah, verses 7–8)
God’s precision in accounting is unparalleled and beyond comparison. He overlooks no good deed, and no evil act escapes His justice, even if it is as small as a speck. One of God’s names is "Latif", which among its meanings is "precise" or "subtle."
Mentioning the weight of an atom (or particle) had no precedent among literary figures up to that time. No one had ever considered attributing weight to such a minute particle. The use of the phrase "the weight of an atom" may very well be an innovation unique to the Holy Qur’an. During the time of its revelation, there were many eloquent speakers among the Arabs, yet such an expression was entirely new and unprecedented.
The Beam of Particles
To better understand the concept of particles and their weight, consider how they can be seen within a beam of light entering a dark room. In that light beam, many floating particles become visible, seemingly weightless, gently drifting in the air. There are millions—perhaps billions—of such particles suspended in the air. That beam of light might help us see them. Once we can see them, we might imagine them having volume, however tiny. But because of their free and gentle motion in the air, imagining any weight for them becomes difficult.
These particles, invisible under normal conditions and unseen in both the darkness of night and the brightness of day—visible only thanks to that shaft of light—are so tiny that imagining anything of equal weight is nearly impossible. Yet, the Almighty God assures that even deeds as weightless as those imperceptible particles will not go unaccounted for. This analogy highlights God’s meticulousness in judging human actions.
The word "ذَرَّةً" (dharratan) carries tanwīn al-waḥda (a grammatical marker indicating singularity), meaning “a single particle.” And "mithqāl" is a verbal noun indicating "weight"—a term that signifies heaviness or mass. As mentioned earlier, God uses an imperceptible measure of human action as an example. While the mention of an atom or speck has literary precedent, referencing its weight—especially as a metaphor for divine judgment—was unprecedented at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation, and even long after.
As discussed, the human mind had not previously considered the weight of something so minuscule, which is understandable. But for the All-Seeing, All-Knowing God, nothing is hidden. To illustrate the accuracy of His reckoning on the Day of Judgment, God gives the example of the weight of an atom, something beyond the scope of human awareness at that time.
Sa'd ibn Mu'adh — The Loyal Companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)
Sa'd ibn Mu'adh was one of the loyal companions of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family). The companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) were of two types:
The first group consisted of sincere and loyal companions, whom the Holy Qur’an and the Prophet himself often praised. Their friendship with the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) was free of hypocrisy and duplicity.
The second group were the hypocrites, who outwardly appeared as companions of the Prophet, fought in his army during battles, and accompanied him in times of peace. However, as the Qur’an repeatedly condemns them, they harbored hatred for the Prophet in their hearts. They never truly believed in his prophethood nor submitted to him; they only pretended to be Muslim. God revealed an entire chapter of the Qur’an—Surah Al-Munafiqun (The Hypocrites)—to expose and criticize them.
Sa'd ibn Mu'adh belonged to the first group of true companions. His status in the eyes of the Prophet and the depth of the Prophet’s love for him were so great that, upon Sa'd's death, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) followed his funeral procession in a distressed and disheveled state—without his cloak or outer garment. This behavior was unprecedented; the Prophet had never shown such conduct at the funeral of any other companion. His actions at Sa'd’s funeral astonished all of his companions.
The Presence of Angels at Sa'd’s Funeral
It was as though the Prophet himself were the bereaved. According to tradition, it is recommended for the bereaved to remove their outer garments during the funeral. Moreover, during the procession, the Prophet walked on his tiptoes—another action that deeply surprised his companions.
Later, when asked about his unusual behavior, the Prophet explained that the angels had joined the funeral of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh. The crowding of angels was such that there was barely space to step.
The presence of angels at Sa'd’s funeral is clear evidence of his extraordinary piety and virtue. Although angels do not have physical bodies with length, width, or depth, their presence was not hidden from the Prophet. Through his actions, the Prophet not only revealed the presence and multitude of the angels but also highlighted Sa'd's lofty spiritual status.
The Prophet’s Astonishing Acts During Sa'd’s Burial
When the time came for the funeral prayer, the Prophet himself led the prayer over Sa'd’s body. This was not something he did for every companion. Many companions—some of whom were martyred on the battlefield under the banner of Islam—did not receive the honor of having the Prophet lead their funeral prayer. Often, the Prophet would ask others to perform this duty. But for Sa'd, he took it upon himself.
The Prophet and his companions prayed over Sa'd. Then came the time for burial. At this moment, the Prophet did something he had never done before in his entire life—and it was unique to Sa'd. He personally descended into the grave, took Sa'd’s body, uncovered his face with his own blessed hands, and placed his cheek on the earth.
Following this, it was time to arrange the mud bricks over the body to form a ceiling inside the grave. These bricks are known as "laban" (singular: "labnah"). The Prophet carefully took each raw brick in his hands, placed them one by one, and sealed the gaps with clay.
There are many narrations about the prayers, words, and supplications the Prophet recited while inside the grave, but those details are omitted here for brevity.
O Sa'd, May Paradise Be Blissful for You!
At the end, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) emerged from the grave. Then, the inside of the grave was filled with soil. Sa'd’s mother, who was watching the Prophet’s behavior from a corner, stood over the grave and said, “O Sa'd, may Paradise be blissful for you!”
Given all the care and attention the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had shown Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, her words did not seem far from the truth. All of this respect and affection from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) must surely be for someone destined for Paradise. However, the Prophet said to her:
“O mother of Sa'd, stop! Do not make such assertions about your Lord. Certainly, Sa'd has just experienced the grave's compression.”
Everyone was astonished by the Prophet’s words. That honorable conduct from the Prophet, signifying Sa'd’s elevated spiritual status—how could it align with the punishment of the grave, which is among the torments of the intermediary realm (Barzakh)? The companions were caught in a state of perplexed contradiction, but the Prophet’s deeply sorrowful expression deterred anyone from asking questions.
The Grave’s Compression: A Result of Bad Temper
The companions returned from Sa'd’s funeral. Some time passed, and an opportunity arose to express their astonishment at the Prophet’s words about Sa'd. How could someone who received such honor and esteem from the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) still be subjected to the grave’s pressure? What fault had Sa'd committed to deserve such punishment?
The Prophet answered:
“Yes, indeed. He had bad behavior toward his family.”
The Prophet attributed the compression of the grave to Sa'd’s bad temper—not that he was always ill-tempered at home, but rather that on occasion, such behavior appeared. For instance, being overly critical about trivial matters, losing his temper at times, or making hurtful remarks.
The Prophet’s use of the word "sū’" (badness) was intentionally indefinite, which in Arabic rhetorical terms implies that Sa'd’s misconduct was limited and rare. He behaved poorly sometimes, not habitually. Yet even this occasional mistreatment led to the grave’s harsh embrace. So imagine the fate of those who consistently mistreat their families and truly deserve the title of ill-tempered.
Despite Sa'd’s outstanding record of faith and service, he was held accountable in the court of divine justice for even minor misconduct. God is just and the protector of the oppressed. Even the smallest injustice—even one as light as a particle—will not go unnoticed before Him, and the oppressor must answer for it.
The Difference Between Sin and Injustice
From one perspective, wrongful acts committed by a person can be divided into two categories:
While God may choose to forgive the first group out of His immense mercy and generosity, He never forgives the second, as doing so would contradict His justice. He may forgo His own rights, but never the rights of others. Although He repeatedly warns of punishment for sins and negligence, sometimes His mercy overrides those warnings. However, injustice against others is an entirely different matter and is never ignored.
God’s Promise to the Oppressed
Restoring the rights of the oppressed is a divine promise—and breaking a promise is unworthy of God. Thus, injustice is unforgivable in God’s system of justice. As the Qur'an states:
“Indeed, Allah does not break His promise.” (Qur'an 3:9)
With this in mind, Sa'd had no right to show even a small amount of bad temper toward his family. Ill-temper is a form of injustice and will not go unanswered by God. That is why the earth compressed his body in the grave. However, the punishment of the grave is not as simple as it sounds—it is beyond human comprehension.
Preparing for the Reckoning of the Hereafter
God’s reckoning of human deeds is meticulous. No action, no matter how small, escapes His attention. Even something as simple as offering a greeting (saying salam) is meritorious. But not all greetings are equal—one accompanied by a smile, or said with warmth in the eyes or expression, carries more spiritual weight than a cold or routine greeting.
That extra positive element will not go unrewarded by God. Every deed—no matter how small, good or bad—will be accounted for in His perfect justice.
Therefore, let us strive to live in a way that we are not overwhelmed on the Day of Judgment by the immense, frightening scope of divine reckoning. The Qur'anic verse under discussion serves as a warning about even the smallest of our actions, and it reminds us not to neglect them.
May God save us from heedlessness.
And may blessings be upon our master and prophet, Muhammad, and his pure family.
