just as one says, “I have rendered him upright,” meaning either that one has made him upright in himself or established his uprightness in people’s estimation. Allah Most High says:

“So do not claim purity for yourselves.”

That is, do not declare yourselves pure. This differs from His saying:

“Successful indeed is the one who purifies it.”

Hence He says:

“He knows best who is mindful of Him.”

Zaynab’s name had been Barrah, but it was said that she was thereby claiming purity for herself, so the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, named her Zaynab.

As for His saying:

“Have you not seen those who claim purity for themselves? Rather, Allah purifies whom He wills.”

This means that He makes a person pure and declares him to be so, just as someone who vouches for witnesses attests to their uprightness.

“Justice” means balance, and balance is the soundness of the heart, just as wrongdoing is its corruption. Thus, whenever a person sins, he wrongs himself. Wrongdoing is the opposite of justice: he has not treated himself justly, but has wronged himself. The heart’s soundness therefore lies in justice, and its corruption in wrongdoing. When a servant wrongs himself, he is both the wrongdoer and the one wronged. Likewise, when he acts justly, he is both the one who acts justly and the one treated justly. The deed proceeds from him, and its fruit, whether good or evil, returns to him.

Allah Most High says:

“Each soul will have the good it has earned and bear the evil it has earned.”

A deed affects the heart—benefiting it, harming it, or setting it right—before its effects appear outwardly. Setting the soul right is to do it justice, while corrupting it is to wrong it. Allah Most High says:

“Whoever does righteousness, it is for his own benefit; and whoever does evil, it is to his own detriment.”

And He Most High says:

“If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, it is against yourselves.”

One of the early generations said: “A good deed indeed produces light in the heart, strength in the body, radiance in the face, abundance in provision, and love in people’s hearts; an evil deed, by contrast, produces darkness in