and His bounty and mercy. Through His pardon He erases sins, through His mercy He brings good things, and through His bounty He multiplies blessings.

Two groups of people have gone astray on this matter:

One group believed in predestination and supposed that this alone was sufficient to attain their goal. They therefore disregarded the divinely prescribed means and righteous deeds. These people ultimately come to disbelieve in Allah’s Books, His messengers, and His religion.

Another group began demanding recompense from Allah as a hired worker demands it from his employer, relying on their own ability, strength, and deeds, and as slaves demand it from their masters. These people are ignorant and misguided. Allah did not command His servants to do what He commanded out of any need for it, nor did He forbid them what He forbade out of stinginess. Rather, He commanded what benefits them and forbade what harms them. As He, glorified be He, said:

“O My servants, you can never harm Me, nor can you ever benefit Me.”

When a king commands his slaves to do something, he does so because he needs their service. They carry it out with strength that he did not create for them, and so they demand recompense for it. Allah Most High, however, has no need of any of His creation. If they do good, they do so for themselves; if they do evil, its consequences fall upon them. The good they earn is theirs, and the evil they earn counts against them.

“Whoever does righteousness—it is for his own soul; and whoever does evil—it is against it. And your Lord is not ever unjust to His servants.”

In an authentic hadith, Allah Most High is reported to have said:

“O My servants, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another. O My servants, you sin by night