17:13

وَكُلَّ إِنسَٰنٍ أَلۡزَمۡنَٰهُ طَـٰٓئِرَهُۥ فِي عُنُقِهِۦۖ وَنُخۡرِجُ لَهُۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ كِتَٰبٗا يَلۡقَىٰهُ مَنشُورًا

Wakulla insanin alzamnahu tairahu fee AAunuqihi wanukhriju lahu yawma alqiyamati kitaban yalqahu manshooran

And [for] every person We have imposed his fate upon his neck, and We will produce for him on the Day of Resurrection a record which he will encounter spread open.

Word by word
  1. وَكُلَّAnd (for) every
  2. إِنسَٰنٍman
  3. أَلۡزَمۡنَٰهُWe have fastened to him
  4. طَـٰٓئِرَهُۥhis fate
  5. فِيin
  6. عُنُقِهِۦۖhis neck
  7. وَنُخۡرِجُand We will bring forth
  8. لَهُۥfor him
  9. يَوۡمَ(on the) Day
  10. ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِ(of) the Resurrection
  11. كِتَٰبٗاa record
  12. يَلۡقَىٰهُwhich he will find
  13. مَنشُورًاwide open
Al-Isra · 17:13Makkah

Your deeds hang on your own neck, and the book opens.

Every act fastened to its doer


What follows you
every personeach day and night
carries
his deedsfastened to his neck
brought out as
a bookspread wide open
Who keeps the record
no one sawsmall things vanish
nothing is lostgreat or small, recorded

After time, Allah speaks of the deeds done in it. Ibn Kathir says the word means deeds that fly from a person, good and bad, fastened to the neck, a place with no escape. Al-Hasan said: your book is open now, write what you want in it, then it will be opened again on the Day.

Your phone keeps every message, every search, every photo. You know how it feels when an old message resurfaces. Your own book is open right now, and you are the one writing it. That is frightening, and also hopeful: today's page is still blank.

Small things I do in private disappear.

Every deed stays with me, and today I still hold the pen.

Try this

Do one quiet good deed today that no one else will ever know about.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And We have fastened every man's Ta'irah (deeds) to his neck, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him a Book which he will find wide open (13)(It will be said to him): "Read your Book. You yourself are sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day. (14)

Every Person will have the Book of his Deeds with Him

After mentioning time, and the deeds of the son of Adam that take place therein, Allah says:

وَكُلَّ إِنسَانٍ أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ

(And We have fastened every man's Ta'irah (deeds) to his neck,) The word Ta'irah (lit. something that flies) refers to man's deeds which fly from him, as Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid and others said. It includes both good deeds and bad deeds, he will be forced to acknowledge them and will be rewarded or punished accordingly.

فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ - وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ

(So whosoever does good equal to the weight of a speck of dust shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of a speck of dust shall see it.)(99:7-8). Allah says:

عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ - مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ

((Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and one on the left (to note his or her actions). Not a word does he (or she) utter but there is a watcher by him ready (to record it).)(50:17-18)

وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَ - كِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَ - يَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ

(But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you, Kiraman (Honorable) Katibin - writing down (your deeds), they know all that you do.)(82:10-12)

إِنَّمَا تُجْزَوْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

(You are only being requited for what you used to do.)[52:16]

مَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ

(whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof.)[4:123] The meaning is that the deeds of the sons of Adam are preserved, whether they are great or small, and they are recorded night and day, morning and evening.

وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا

(and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him a Book which he will find wide open.) meaning, 'We will collect all of his deeds for him in a Book which will be given to him on the Day of Resurrection, either in his right hand, if he is one of the blessed, or in his left hand if he is one of the wretched.'

مَنشُورًا

(wide open) means, it will be open for him and others to read all of his deeds, from the beginning of his life until the end.

يُنَبَّأُ الْإِنسَانُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ - بَلِ الْإِنسَانُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ بَصِيرَةٌ - وَلَوْ أَلْقَىٰ مَعَاذِيرَهُ

(On that Day man will be informed of what (deeds) he sent forward, and what (deeds) he left behind. Nay! Man will be a witness against himself, though he may put forth his excuses.)(75:13-15) Allah says:

اقْرَأْ كِتَابَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفْسِكَ الْيَوْمَ عَلَيْكَ حَسِيبًا

((It will be said to him): "Read your Book. You yourself are sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day.") meaning, you have not been treated unjustly and nothing has been recorded against you except what you have done, because you remember everything that you have done, and no one will forget anything that he did. Everyone will be able to read his Book, whether he is literate or illiterate.

أَلْزَمْنَاهُ طَائِرَهُ فِي عُنُقِهِ

(And We have fastened every man's Ta'irah (deeds) to his neck,) The neck is mentioned because it is a part of the body that has no counterpart, and when one is restrained by it, he has no escape. Ma'mar narrated from Qatadah, "His deeds,

وَنُخْرِجُ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ 

(and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him) We shall bring forth those deeds."

كِتَابًا يَلْقَاهُ مَنشُورًا

(a Book which he will find wide open.) Ma'mar said: Al-Hasan recited,

عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ

(one sitting on the right and one on the left.)[50:17][And he said;] "O son of Adam, your Book has been opened for you, and two noble angels have been entrusted to accompany you, one on your right and one on your left. The one who is on your right records your good deeds, and the one who is on your left records your bad deeds. 'So do whatever you want, a lot or a little, until you die, then I will fold up your Book and tie it to your neck with you in your grave. Then when you come out on the Day of Resurrection, you will find the Book wide open, so read your Book.' By Allah, the One Who makes you accountable for your own deeds is being perfectly just." These are some of the best words Al-Hasan ever spoke, may Allah have mercy on him.