become apparent to you, and you will come to know.”

Al-Hasan said:
“Every deed has its recompense. Whoever does a good deed will be rewarded for it in Paradise, and whoever does an evil deed will be repaid for it in Hell. And you will come to know.”

Al-Hasan’s meaning is that deeds are subject to promises of reward and threats of punishment. These promises and threats constitute the announcement that has its appointed fulfilment. He thus explained the meaning; he did not mean that the recompense itself is the announcement itself.

Concerning “Every announcement has its appointed fulfilment,” al-Suddī said: “That is, an appointed time that I have promised you. It will come to you, and then you will recognize it.”

Concerning “Every announcement has its appointed fulfilment,” ‘Atā’ said: “His punishment is deferred so that he may commit his sin.” Once he commits his sin, He punishes him. That is, He does not inflict the threatened punishment until the person commits the sin for which He threatened him.

Another example is the statement of many of the early generations concerning certain verses: “The ta’wīl of this verse has already passed, while the ta’wīl of that verse has not yet come.” For instance, Abū al-Ashhab related from al-Hasan, and al-Rabī‘ from Abū al-‘Āliyah, that the following verse was recited to Ibn Mas‘ūd:

“O you who believe, attend to yourselves”—to the end of the verse.

Ibn Mas‘ūd said:
“This is not the time for its application. Proclaim it as long as it is accepted from you; but when it is rejected, attend to yourselves.”

Then he said: “The Quran was revealed when it was revealed. Some of its verses concern matters whose ta’wīl had already passed before they were revealed. Some had their ta’wīl during the lifetime of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; some had their ta’wīl shortly after the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace; some will have their ta’wīl after today; some will have their ta’wīl at the end of time; and some will have their ta’wīl on the Day of Resurrection—those that mention the Reckoning, Paradise and Hell. So, as long as