Surah 17:13
"And every human – We have fastened his fate to him on his neck, and We shall bring forth a book for him on the Day of Resurrection, which he will find unrolled."
Bearing the Burden of Sins
Supporting Verses
Surah 17:14 → "‘Read your book! You are sufficient today as a reckoner against yourself.’"
Surah 17:15 → "Whoever is (rightly) guided, is guided only for himself, and whoever goes astray, goes astray only against himself. No one bearing a burden bears the burden of another. We never punish until We have raised up a messenger."
Surah 53:38 → "– That no one bearing a burden bears the burden of another;"
Opposing Verses
Surah 16:25 → "– that they may bear their own burdens fully on the Day of Resurrection, and (also) some of the burdens of those whom they led astray without (their) realizing (it). Evil is what they will bear!"
Surah 29:13 → "But they will indeed bear their burdens, and (other) burdens with their burdens, and on the Day of Resurrection they will indeed be questioned about what they have forged."
Does the Quran state that a person only bears their own sins, or can they bear the burden of another's sins? Certain verses state that no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another, while other verses state that some individuals will bear their own burdens along with the burdens of those they led astray.
Timing of Divine Decrees and Predestination
Supporting Verses
Surah 57:22 → "No smiting smites in the earth or among yourselves, except that it was in a Book before We brought it about – surely that is easy for God –"
Opposing Verses
Surah 44:3 → "Surely We sent it down on a blessed night – surely We were warning –"
Surah 44:4 → "during which every wise command was divided out,"
Surah 97:3 → "The Night of the Decree is better than a thousand months."
Does the Quran state that fates and events are pre-recorded before creation or decreed on a specific annual night? Some verses state that everything is already written in a Book before it happens, or that an individual's fate is fastened to their own neck. Other verses state that divine commands and decrees are divided out during a specific blessed night, known as the Night of Decree.