“O My servants, if the first and the last of you and the human and the jinn of you were as pious as the most pious heart of anyone among you, it would not add anything to My dominion. O My servants, if the first and the last of you and the human and the jinn of you were as wicked as the most wicked heart of anyone among you it would not decrease anything from My dominion.”
[Muslim]
When commenting on this portion of the hadith, Ibn Taymiyah (r.a.) explained that the word mulk or ‘dominion’ could mean either the power to administer and manage affairs; the actual administering and arranging of the affairs of creation; or the objects (in this case human and jinn) of the dominion. Equally, the meaning could encompass all of these things.
If all of mankind and jinn were as pious as the Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam), this would not add anything to Allah’s dominion and kingdom. Allah’s dominion is not made richer or greater by the obedience of the creation within it.
Similarly, if all of mankind and jinn were as evil as Shaitan, this would not diminish Allah’s kingdom and dominion in any way. The disobedience of the creation does not affect Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala) in any way.
This illustrates to us how different Allah’s (swt) kingdom is from that of man. The weak human ‘kings’ of the world need the obedience of their servants and citizens to provide support. The more citizens a king has, the greater his kingdom, without them, he is nothing.
This is not the case for Allah (swt) because Allah (swt) is the true king with the true dominion. He (swt) has power over all things. Nothing escapes His (swt) rule, and He is not in need of anything to assist Him (swt). He (swt) is Perfect, Complete and Self-Sufficient. All glory be to Him (swt). Ameen.
“O My servants, if the first and the last of you and the human and the jinn of you were to gather together on [the same sector] of land and all asked Me and if I were to give everyone of them what he asked, that would not decrease what I have any more than a needle decreases what is in the ocean when it is put into it.”
SubhaanAllah, the Glory of Allah. Let’s try and imagine for a moment the vastness of the ocean. No land in sight as far as the eye can see, depths so deep that no sunlight can reach them, and they remain uncharted by human beings. Only Allah (swt) knows the vastness of the ocean and its depths. Then let’s imagine the fineness of a single needle, its tip so tiny it can barely been seen. If it were dipped into the ocean and lifted out, how much water would have been decreased from the ocean? A drop? A single drop compared to the vastness of the ocean. We can hardly imagine something more vast compared to something so small.
Such is the vastness of what Allah’s has with Him (swt), that if all the human beings and all the jinns were to think of everything that they could desire, and to ask Allah (swt) for it, and He (swt) were to give it to them, it would not decrease from what He (swt) has but the tiniest drop.
SubhaanAllah.
Which of these things is more confronting – the magnitude of Allah (swt), or the insignificance of the desires of all the creation?
Allah (swt) is the Most Generous, Free from all want, and able to give anything He (swt) desires. This portion of the hadith demonstrates this to us, through this magnificent similitude. Allah (swt) is able to give endlessly, without it detracting from His (swt) dominion. When the believer realises this, it should encourage them to turn to Allah (swt) and ask Him for what they desire, for Allah (swt) is able to grant all things.
Let’s call on Allah (swt) by His Beautiful Names – Ar-Razzaq the Provider, Al-Akram the Most Generous, and Al-Mujib the Answerer, to give us the best of this life and the best of the Hereafter.
Rabbana aatina fid dunyah hasanataun wa fil aakhirati hasanataun wa qina adhaaban naar.
Our Lord, grant us the good things of this world, and the good things of the next, and save is from the Fire.
“O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon for you. Then I recompense you for them. The one who finds good is to give praises to Allah.The one who finds other than that should not blame anyone but himself.”
This hadith began with Allah (swt) stating that He does not commit any dhulm or wrongdoing. Here, at the end of the hadith, He (swt) demonstrates His justice to us by showing that He (swt) is preserving the deeds that mankind is performing. Everyone’s deeds will be presented and weighed on the Day of Judgement, and all of mankind will be recompensed according to their deeds. No one will be wronged in any way. Allah (swt) says:
“So whoever does good equal to the weight of an atom shall see it. And whoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom shall see it”
(Surah al-Zalzalah:7-8)
Allah (swt) tells us that on the Day of Resurrection all our deeds will be recompensed in full. Many Ahaadeeth tell us that the weighing takes place on a real scale, with two plates, and that good deeds will be weighed on one side and evil deeds on the other. It is important to note that the reward that Allah (swt) gives to His servants is an act of His mercy, however His (swt) punishment is out of His justice and He does not punish anyone more than he deserves. He (swt) will deliver His ultimate justice, and will shower His mercy and grace on the believers by giving those who did good deeds ten times the reward. Allah (swt) says:
“Whoever brings a good deeds shall have ten times the like thereof to his credit, and whoever brings an evil deed shall have only the recompense of the like thereof, and they will not be wronged.”
(Surah al-Anaam:160)
Those who did bad deeds will recompensed only for what they have done, so they any punishment they receive can be blamed on no-one but themselves. People who do wrong things sometimes try to blame other for their sins. They claim that they were led astray by their leaders, Shaitan, society, or their friends and family. But in reality, as this hadith shows, they have no-one to blame but themselves. They could have chosen the path of good deeds, of worship of Allah (swt) and the religion of Islam, but they chose not to take that path, and the consequences will come.
On the Day of Judgement, the one who did wrong will be alone with their book of deeds, faced with the reality of the life they lived, and they will feel regret and remorse. Allah (swt) tells us:
“But as for him who is given his Record in his left hand, he will say, ‘Woe to me, I wish that I had not been given my record and that I had never known how my account was. Would that it [death] had been my end. My wealth has not availed me. My power has gone from me.’ [It will be said] ‘Seize him and fetter him. Then throw him in the blazing Fire.”
(Surah al-Haaqah:25-31)
May Allah (swt) protect us from performing bad deeds and meeting a horrid end such as this, and may He (swt) make us of those who perform good deeds and find a beautiful everlasting reward. Ameen. Let’s also remember that if we do perform a bad deed, we should follow it up with a good one that will outweigh it on the Day of Judgement. And Allah (swt) is the best of all Judges.