As for those whose scales are light, only then will they realize that all along it was not their deeds alone that will suffice to take them to Heaven, but the mercy of Allah. Let’s illustrate this further by the mind boggling story of the last person who will enter Heaven.

“The last person to enter paradise will be a man who will walk once, stumble once and be burned by the Fire once. Once he gets past it, he will turn around and face it saying, ‘Blessed be the One Who has saved me from you. God has given me something that He has not given to the first and the last.’

Then a tree will be raised up for him, and he will say, ‘O my Lord, bring me closer to this tree so that I may shelter in its shade and drink of its water.‘ God, may He be glorified and exalted, will say, ‘O son of Adam perhaps if I grant you this, you will ask Me for something else?’ He will say, ‘No, O Lord’, and he will promise that he will not ask Him for anything else, and his Lord will excuse him because he has seen something that he has no patience to resist. So he will be brought near to it and he will shelter in its shade and drink of its water.

Then another tree will be raised up for him that is more beautiful than the first, and he will say, ‘O my Lord, bring me closer to this tree so that I may drink of its water and shelter in its shade, and I will not ask you for anything else.‘ He will say, ‘O son of Adam did you not promise Me that you would not ask me for anything else?’ He will say, ‘Perhaps if I bring you near to it, you will ask Me for something else.‘ He will promise that he will not ask Him for anything else, and his Lord will excuse him because he has seen something that he has no patience to resist.  So he will be brought near to it and he will shelter in its shade and drink of its water.

Then another tree will be raised up for him at the gate of Paradise that is more beautiful than the first two, and he will say, ‘O My Lord, bring me closer to this tree so that I may shelter in its shade and drink of its water, and I will not ask You for anything else.’ He will say, ‘O son of Adam, did you not promise Me that you would not ask Me for anything else?’ He will say, ‘Yes, O Lord, I will not ask you for anything else.’ His Lord will excuse him because he has seen something which he has no patience to resist. He will be brought close to it, and when he draws close to it, he will hear the voices of the people of Paradise and will say, ‘O Lord, admit me therein.’ He will say: ‘O son of Adam, what will make you stop asking? Will it please you if I give you the world and as much again?’ He will say, ‘O Lord, are You making fun of me when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’

Ibn Mas’ud (the companion narrating this beautiful narration) smiled and said:

“Why don’t you ask me why I am smiling?”

They said:

“Why are you smiling?”

He said:

“This is how the Messenger of God, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, smiled and they (the companions around the Prophet) asked:

“Why are you smiling, O Messenger of God?”

He said:

“Because the Lord of the Worlds will smile when he says, ‘are You making fun of me when You are the Lord of the Worlds?’ and (God) will say:

‘I am not making fun of you, but I am Able to do whatever I will.’” (Muslim)

The Most Merciful admits this man to Heaven although he has committed so many sins and promised not to ask for more. Hence, the scales are not only a demonstration of the weighing of our deeds but rather symbolic of Allah’s mercy and pardoning.

Allah’s mercy is so encompassing and beyond imagination; did you know that Allah has 100 parts of mercy, of which he sent 1 down to the world and 99 ones are yet to be reclaimed? The Prophet (peace be upon him) gives us glad tidings:

“Allah has one hundred parts of mercy, of which He sent down one between the jinn, mankind, the animals and the insects, by means of which they are compassionate and merciful to one another, and by means of which wild animals are kind to their offspring. And Allah has kept back ninety-nine parts of mercy with which to be merciful to His slaves on the Day of Resurrection.”

O Allah forgive us for our shortcomings indeed you are the most Just, most Merciful.

____________

References:

http://www.egyptian-scarabs.co.uk/weighing_of_the_heart.htm

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/911896/jewish/Teshuvah-Chapter-Three.htm#lt=primary

http://www.keyway.ca/htm2013/20131003.htm

http://peopleof.oureverydaylife.com/symbolism-lady-justice-8578.html