These effects produced by deeds are themselves reward and punishment. Deeds lead to these effects and bring them about just as all the causes that Allah—glorified and exalted is He—has established lead to their effects. When a person eats or drinks, his thirst is quenched and his hunger satisfied. Allah—glorified and exalted is He—has firmly linked the quenching of thirst and the satisfaction of hunger to drinking and eating. Yet, if He willed not to satisfy a person’s hunger or quench his thirst despite his eating and drinking, He would do so: by giving the food no efficacy, by placing a counteracting force in the recipient, or by whatever means He wills—glorified and exalted is He. And if He willed to satisfy his hunger and quench his thirst without eating or drinking, or through eating something unusual, He would do so.

The same applies, in exact parallel, to deeds and their rewards and punishments. Reward is called thawāb because it returns (yathūbu) to the doer from his deed. Punishment is called ‘iqāb because it follows (ya‘qubu) the deed—that is, it comes after it. If Allah willed not to reward him for that deed—whether by giving the deed no property that leads to reward, by the presence of causes that prevent that reward, or otherwise—He would do so, glorified and exalted is He. The same applies to punishments.

To explain: eating and drinking themselves take place through the servant’s choice and will, a will that is itself also brought about by Allah—glorified and exalted is He. Yet the servant has no part whatsoever in bringing about the satisfaction of hunger that follows eating. Even if he wished to prevent that satisfaction after undertaking the causes that produce it, he would be unable to do so. Likewise, the deed itself takes place through his will and choice; but if he wished to avert its effect and reward after the cause producing them had come into existence, he would be unable to do so.