Firstly:
The texts of the Quran and Sunnah indicate that on the Day of Resurrection, people will be divided into two groups: one group who will receive their records of deeds in their right hands, who are the believers, and another group who will receive their records of deeds in their left hands, who are the disbelievers.
In the answer to question no. 52887, we stated that the most correct view is that the sinful monotheists, who will enter Hell for their sins, then be brought forth from it, will receive their records of deeds in their right hands, and no one will receive their records of deeds in their left hands except the disbelievers who will abide forever in Hell.
This is when the records will fly to people and they will receive them, then after that will come the reckoning and the requital.
Every Muslim who dies believing in Allah’s oneness will receive his record in his right hand, and this is why he will rejoice, but that does not rule out the fact that Allah may punish some of the sinful monotheists for their sins in Hell, even though they will have received their records in their right hands.
Shaykh Salih Al as-Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
Will the sinner be given his record of deeds in his right hand or his left hand?
He replied: The sinner will be given his record in his right hand. As for those who will be given their records in their left hands on the Day of Resurrection, they are the disbelievers. The disbeliever will be given his record in his left hand behind his back. As for the believer, he will be given his record in his right hand, whether he was one of those who were foremost in good deeds, or one of those who followed a middle course, or one of those who wronged themselves. Then after that will come the reckoning and the weighing of deeds, then will come the requital.
Ends quote from Sharh at-Tahawiyyah, p. 686.
Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan (may Allah preserve him) was asked:
Will the sinful Muslim receive his record of deeds in his left hand or his right hand?
He replied:
The sinful Muslim will receive his record of deeds in his right hand, but even if he receives his record in his right hand, he may be punished for his bad deeds, but he will not abide forever in Hell as the disbeliever will.
It says in Fatawa al-Lajnah ad-Da’imah, 1/725-727: The view of Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is that the one who dies as a believer will receive his record of deeds in his right hand, even if he had committed major sins, and that the one who dies as a disbeliever – Allah forbid – will receive his record of deeds in his left hand from behind his back. When he receives it from behind his back, he will be unhappy and distressed, and reluctant to receive it, but he will have no choice but to receive it. This is the one to whom the texts refer, but nothing is mentioned in the texts about anyone receiving the record of deeds except a believer, even if he was a believer only in the broadest sense, or a disbeliever, regardless of the type or level of his disbelief.
The verses
{As for the one who is given his record of deeds from behind his back,
he will call out [wishing] for death, and he will enter the raging fire} [Al-Inshiqaq 84:10-12]
refer to the disbeliever who is beyond the bounds of Islam, because Allah tells us that he does not believe in the hereafter, and at the end of this passage, He tells us that {Indeed, he had thought he would never} [al-Inshiqaq 84:14] to his Lord for the reckoning and the requital. There is no contradiction between what Allah, may He be Exalted, says about the disbeliever in one verse, that he will be given his record of deeds from behind his back, and what He says in another verse, that he will be given his record of deeds in his left hand, because it is possible to reconcile between the verses by noting that he will receive the record of his deeds in his left hand from behind his back, as noted above. Thus one of the two verses refers to the hand in which he will receive his record of deeds, and the other states the manner in which he will receive it.
And Allah is the source of strength. May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Shaykh `Abd al-`Aziz ibn `Abdillah ibn Baz, Shaykh `Abd ar-Razzaq al-`Afifi, Shaykh `Abdullah ibn Qa`ud, Shaykh `Abdullah ibn Ghadyan.
Secondly:
Allah, may He be Exalted, says:
{As for the one who is given his record of deeds in his right hand,
he will have an easy reckoning,
and he will go back to his family [in Paradise] rejoicing} [Al-Inshiqaq 84:7-9].
These verses describe the situation of the righteous and pious believers: they will be given their records in their right hands, and will be granted an easy reckoning, then they will enter Paradise happily, rejoicing in what Allah has given them of goodness and honour.
Their joy will be commensurate with their deeds, so the best of them in deeds will have the greatest joy and will be the ones who rejoice most at their records of deeds and what they contain, and will be the most content with the words of Allah, may He be Exalted:
{As for the one who is given his record of deeds in his right hand, he will say: Here, read my record!
Indeed, I knew that I would face my reckoning.
So he will have a well-pleasing life,
in a garden on high,
with fruits within easy reach.
[It will be said to them:] Eat and drink with enjoyment because of what you did [of righteous deeds] in days gone by} [Al-Haqqah 69:19-24].
As for the sinful monotheist who will enter Hell for his sins, then be brought forth from it, he will have a share of that virtue as is appropriate in his case. So his joy and happiness will be commensurate with his good deeds and what he finds in his record of deeds, and the fact that he died believing in Allah’s oneness. Thus he will know that he is not one of the disbelievers who will abide forever in Hell, hence he will rejoice, but what comparison can there be between his joy and the joy of the pious and righteous people? It is possible that he will feel joy, then it will be followed by sorrow, then that will be followed by joy. He will receive his record of deeds in his right hand and will rejoice, then he will be punished for his sins, so he will feel sorrow, then he will be admitted to Paradise by Allah’s mercy, so he will rejoice. This is in contrast to the pious and righteous who will rejoice and will not feel sorrow, and they will be shown mercy and will not be punished.
This is similar to the fact that the people of Paradise will vary in many ways, and will vary in their status in Paradise, commensurate with their good deeds, as al-Bukhari (3256) and Muslim (2831) narrated from Abu Sa`id al-Khudri (may Allah have mercy on him), from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who said: “The people of Paradise will see the people of the highest place in Paradise above them as you see a brilliant star far away on the horizon in the east or the west, because of the difference in status between them.”
The people of Paradise will vary in everything, in their reckoning, in the way they will receive their records of deeds, in their rejoicing at their records and what they contain of good deeds, and in the levels of Paradise. All of that will be commensurate with their deeds and with what Allah bestows upon them of His bounty.
So the sinful believer will receive his record of deeds in his right hand, and will be granted an easy reckoning and will go back to his family rejoicing. This is what his situation will be in general terms, but that does not rule out what may befall him of Allah’s punishment for his sins. These verses only speak about his admittance to Paradise and his rejoicing at that time; they do not speak of what may befall him at the time of his death, or in his grave, or in the place of standing (on the Day of Resurrection), before the records of deeds fly to the people and the Balance is set up.
Thus the one who is destined for Paradise – no matter what befalls him before that – will undoubtedly be among those who will rejoice.
And Allah knows best.
