estranged from Allah through disobeying Him in this world will find his estrangement from Him in the life of the grave and on the Day of Return far greater and more severe. Whoever finds his delight in Him in this worldly life will find his delight in Him on the Day of Resurrection, at death, and on the Day of Rising. A servant dies as he lived and is resurrected as he died. His very deeds return to him, bringing him bliss outwardly and inwardly. They impart joy, happiness, pleasure, delight, contentment, and bliss, together with strength, gladness, vitality, and openness of heart—among the finest, noblest, sweetest, and most delightful forms of bliss. Indeed, what is bliss but a contented soul and a heart filled with joy, happiness, openness, and gladness?

Moreover, his deeds give rise to whatever his soul desires and his eyes delight in, from all the pleasures that souls desire and eyes enjoy. The variety and perfection of these pleasures, and the degree of beauty and suitability they attain, correspond to the perfection of his deeds, his faithful adherence and sincerity in performing them, the excellence he attains in them, and their variety. Whoever performs varied deeds pleasing and beloved to Allah in this world will enjoy varied kinds of pleasure in the next. These will multiply for him according to the abundance of his deeds here. His increase in reward governs these pleasures, while his rejoicing in them and enjoyment there correspond to the increase in his deeds and what he follows in performing them in this world.

Allah, Glorified is He, has assigned to every deed—whether beloved or displeasing to Him—its own distinct effect, recompense, pleasure, and bliss, unlike the effect and recompense of any other. Hence the varied pleasures of the people of Paradise and the varied sufferings of the people of the Fire, and the variety of good things and punishments found therein. The pleasure of someone who has participated in every kind of deed pleasing to Allah and taken a share of each is not like the pleasure of someone whose participation and share are confined to just one kind. Nor is the suffering of someone who has participated in every kind of deed displeasing to Allah like that of someone who has participated in only one kind.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, indicated that the perfection of the good things a servant enjoys in the Hereafter corresponds to the perfection of the deeds answering to them in this world. He once saw a cluster of shrivelled, worthless dates hanging in the mosque as charity. He said: “The one who gave this will eat shrivelled, worthless dates on the Day of