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The Weight of One’s Character

 


Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab were not small in the physical sense, but rather small in character, just like those who are considered blind are not physically blind, but rather have blind hearts. People with no character tend to overcompensate with material possessions, loud behavior, and obnoxiousness. However, worldly scales cannot weigh a person's character, only Allah's scales can do that.

      Comparing Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (RA) to Abu Jahl, the former was a giant in the deen, known for being the first person to recite the Qur'an publicly, and the one whose recitation made the Prophet (Pbuh) weep. On the other hand, Abu Jahl was huge in physical stature but small in character, as evidenced by his stomping and attacking Ibn Mas'ud during the public recitation of Surah Ar-Rahman. Despite being physically shorter than his companions, Ibn Mas'ud (RA)'s legacy is greater than any of them, and he remains one of the greatest companions in Islam.

      In the Battle of Badr, Allah arranged a poetic ending for the tyrant Abu Jahl. Ibn Mas'ud (RA) climbed on top of him after striking him down, causing Abu Jahl to see the man he had oppressed standing on his chest. Abu Jahl was in disbelief and exclaimed, “You have climbed a difficult mountain, O tiny shepherd!”. However, the victory belonged to Allah. Ibn Mas'ud (RA) declared that victory belonged to Allah, the Messenger (Pbuh), and the believers.

      The companions, including Ibn Mas'ud (RA), also learned the lesson of what makes a person truly mighty. When the wind blew Ibn Mas'ud (RA) into a tree, exposing his small legs, the companions laughed. Rather than simply chastising them for their laughter, the Prophet (Pbuh) asked why they were laughing. They replied that his legs were small, but the Prophet (Pbuh) reminded them that on the Day of Judgment, those legs would weigh more in the scale of good deeds than the mountain of Uhud. This was because the scale of good deeds didn't just weigh what you said, but also who you were as a person.

       The Prophet (Pbuh) emphasized the importance of good character as it would be the heaviest thing on the scale on the Day of Judgment. Character was to deeds what sincerity was to faith. It was the inner quality that reflected who you truly were in the sight of Allah. Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) described that moment where a person will be physically placed on the scale to illustrate the weight of good character on the Day of Judgment. He stated, "Those whose outward appearance is better than their inward character will have a light scale on the Day of Judgment, while those whose inward character is better than their outward appearance will have a heavy scale”.

     Allah records everything with precision, including the intangible effects and traces left behind. His scale weighs things that cannot be weighed otherwise, and this is an act of mercy rather than cruelty. The Prophet (Pbuh) taught that even the actions of keeping a horse or going out in the cause of Allah will be weighed on the Day of Judgment. Your words are now being weighed alongside the Book of Deeds you brought with you. Those who have a heavy scale will be in a pleasant life, while those who have a light scale will be in a pitiable existence.

 

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