Allah; through them, his soul and heart draw near to Allah Himself. In the Hereafter, his body too will draw near, together with his heart. Some will be raised above others in rank, and what was inward in this world will become manifest in the Hereafter. In an authentic hadith, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Allah does not look at your appearance or your wealth; rather, He looks at your hearts and your deeds.”

Even if someone were to say, “Prostration and other righteous deeds bring about nearness to Allah Most High, just as He says:

‘And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and the earth.’ [Āl ‘Imrān 133]

Forgiveness and Paradise are not themselves deeds that people perform. Rather, hastening toward them means hastening to perform the righteous deeds that lead to them. Likewise, the command to draw near to Allah Most High is a command to perform the deeds that bring about that nearness”—such a statement would contain a rebuttal to the opponent and preclude the apparent meaning of the Quran from being misguidance.