The Story of the Scales

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

This is the very first thing my shaykh, Shaykh Zakariya ibn ‘Umar Bagharib (q.s.), taught me after I converted.  On the Day of Judgement, when the deeds of one man from the ummah of Muhammad (s.a.w.) are weighed on the Scales, they will fall to the left and the man will be dragged to the Fire. And that man will call upon the Prophet (s.a.w.) in desperation. 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) will say, “I will gird up my loins and rush after the angels to stop them.”  The angels will say that they cannot disobey Allah (s.w.t.).  Then, the Prophet (s.a.w.) will then prostrate before Allah (s.w.t.) and plead with Him of His Promise to not disgrace the Prophet (s.a.w.) about his ummah. 

Allah (s.w.t.) will then Order the angels to obey the Prophet (s.a.w.) and take that man back to the Scale.  When the man’s virtues are weighed again, the Scales still fall to the left.  The Prophet (s.a.w.) will then produce a white paper of holy light from his pocket and place it along with the man's other virtues.  The scale will not move until the Prophet (s.a.w.) says, “Ya Mizan! Ta’addab!” meaning, “O Scales!  Behave yourself!”  And the scales will fall to the right, and he will be taken to Paradise. 

The angels will ask what was on that paper that could move the Scale of Deeds, and the Prophet (s.a.w.) will inform them that the white paper held the man’s swalawat upon the Prophet (s.a.w.) that had been preserved for that day.  Any one of us could be that person.