Why Do We Need a Scale to Evaluate Human Deeds, and Who Can Be This Scale?
As discussed in earlier lessons, every phenomenon or concept requires its own scale for evaluation. When it comes to our deeds, that scale is the Truth (Al-Haqq). On the Day of Judgement, the standard for measuring deeds will be the Truth [1], and the weight of any deed will depend on how much truth it contains. The more Truth a deed embodies, the greater its value and spiritual weight. In essence, God has created everything mathematically, assigning to each thing its rightful quantity and scale — and that scale is none other than the Truth.
For example, based on mathematics of creation, elements like sugar, fat, iron, and calcium must exist in specific amounts within the body. These quantities are the scales or the truth by which the body’s health is measured. A healthy body is one in which all elements are present in the right proportion and scale. If the body’s balance is disturbed, weakness, illness, or dysfunction follows.
If being in alignment with physical health scales — something that only concerns this short worldly life — is so vital, then how much more critical must it be for our soul or heart to be in alignment with the eternal scale of the Truth? After all, the soul is the only lasting asset in our eternal life. As we discussed before, to experience inner joy and peace in this life, and true bliss and pleasure in the Hereafter, we need a sound heart; therefore, it is the most vital scale by which our soul or heart is evaluated. Our hearts must be compatible with the Truth or to the scales of the Hereafter — if we are to be compatible with the living conditions of Heaven and beyond and experience eternal happiness. A heart saturated with traits like malice, envy, suspicion, or arrogance stands in opposition to the Truth and the living conditions of the Hereafter. In contrast, a heart that has acquired Allah’s attributes — Rahman (the Most Merciful), Kareem (the Most Generous), Sattar (the Veiler of faults), and Ghafūr (the All-Forgiving)— is in compatibility with the truth and living conditions of the Heaven.
Given all of this, the question arises: is there anyone whose soul and heart are in complete compatibility with the Truth? If such a person exists, only they can rightfully serve as the scale to evaluate human deeds by which the soundness of our soul and heart is measured.
Whose Deeds Are Used as the Scale for Ours?
Typically, in order to evaluate something, we compare it with the best possible version of its kind—a model and a perfect example. For instance, when assessing the health of a body part such as the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands, feet, bones, heart, stomach, or liver, the standard or scale used is the healthiest form of that organ—one that is in perfect compatibility with the living conditions of the world. A healthy ear, for instance, can hear sounds up to 8000 Hz, and a healthy heart beats between 60 to 100 times per minute. In short, a fully healthy human body serves as the scale against which any other body is evaluated. The same holds true for our heart and soul. The scale for evaluating the soundness of the heart is the purest and most refined version of it—and we all know that the Infallibles (Peace be upon them) possess the soundest hearts. The Household of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon them) are the first created beings, the Most Perfect Examples, and the perfect manifestations of Allah. In other words, all Divine Names exist within them in an actualized form. They are Allah’s deputies on earth, and what they perform is exactly what He has commanded us to do. For this reason, they represent the highest example of humanity and serve as the scale to evaluate human deeds. This is why in Ziyāra of Imam Ali (Peace be upon him) [2], we read: “Peace be upon the scale of deeds.” Therefore, the more our deeds align with theirs and the ideal human lifestyle, the more weight and value they will carry.
In fact, every deed of ours in the Hereafter will be mesured against the actions of the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them), which are the true scale to evaluate human deeds. For example, our prayer will be compared to the prayer of Imam Ali (Peace be upon him). The closer our prayer is to his, the more valuable it will be, and the heavier it will weigh on the scale of deeds. In general, righteous deeds increase the weight of our scale, while sins and wrongdoings make it lighter. In every moment of our lives, through our decisions, relationships, behaviors, and thoughts, we are either moving closer to or farther from a sound heart; When our behaviours are aligned with the Truth and the lifestyle of the Infallibles (Peace be upon them), we are on a path toward a sound heart and will have a healthy birth into the Hereafter, and a life of eternal bliss.
In this lesson, we explored the concept of the scale to evaluate human deeds. We stated that the Infallibles (Peace be upon them) are the most perfect examples and manifestations of the Almighty Allah and the scale by which our deeds are evaluated. The value and weight of our deeds depend on how closely they reflect theirs. In other words, the more our decisions, relationships, behaviors, and thoughts are in harmony with the lifestyle of the Prophet’s Household (Peace be upon them), the greater the weight and value of our deeds—and the sounder our hearts will be. And as a result, we will experience a more beautiful and blissful eternity.
What are your reflections on this lesson? Share your thoughts with us.
References
[1]. Quran, 7:8
[2]. Ziyarat of Imam Ali (as) at his Holy Shrine