Transliteration:( Innaa Nahnu nuhyil mawtaa wa naktubu maa qaddamoo wa aasaarahum; wa kulla shai'in ahsainaahu feee Imaamim Mubeen )
"Without doubt, We give life to the dead and We are noting down what they have sent forward [13] and what signs they have left behind [14]. And We have already kept counted everything in a Clear Book [15]."
This part of the verse reminds us that Allah alone revives the dead, showing His absolute power over life and resurrection. It also states, “We are noting down...”, although the recording is done by angels. This highlights that the actions of Allah’s beloved servants are so closely connected to Him that He attributes their recording directly to Himself—as a mark of honour and divine care.
This refers to two types of deeds being recorded:
The good or harmful customs people start, which others continue to follow.
Acts of charity or causes that bring long-lasting reward or harm.
Hence, if someone starts a beneficial innovation, they will keep receiving reward, and if they introduce an evil custom, they will bear the consequences—as long as people act on it. This is clearly supported in Hadith Shareef.
The reason for revelation relates to Banu Salama, a tribe living far from Masjid al-Nabawi. They wanted to relocate closer to join congregational prayer more easily. But the Prophet ﷺ told them to stay where they were, saying: “Your steps are being recorded.” This shows how even small efforts in Allah’s path are counted.
“A Clear Book” refers to the Divine Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz), where everything is precisely written. It is called “clear” because nothing is hidden in it—it is fully open before Allah’s chosen servants, a sign of His perfect knowledge and justice.
The tafsir of Surah Yaseen verse 12 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Yaseen ayat 8 which provides the complete commentary from verse 8 through 12.
(36:12) We shall surely raise the dead to life and We record what they did and the traces of their deeds that they have left behind.[9] We have encompassed that in a Clear Book.
9. This shows that three kinds of the entries are made in the conduct-book of men. First, whatever a person does, good or bad is entered in the divine register. Second, whatever impressions a man makes on the objects of his environment and on the limbs of his own body itself, become recorded, and all these impressions will at one time become so conspicuous that man’s own voice will become audible and the whole history of his ideas and intentions and aims and objects and the pictures of all of his good and bad acts and deeds will appear before him. Third, whatever influences he has left behind of his good and bad actions on his future generation, on his society and on mankind as a whole, will go on being recorded in his account as far as they reach and as long as they remain active and operative. The full record of the good and bad training given by him to his children, the good or evil that he has spread in the society, and its impact on mankind as a whole, will go on being maintained till the time that it goes on producing good or evil results in the world.
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