In sum, concerning His saying, Exalted is He:

“Whoever does righteous deeds while being a believer will fear neither injustice nor deprivation.”

The Quran commentators among the early generations said: He does not fear being wronged by having the sins of others laid upon him, nor being deprived by having his good deeds diminished. This injustice cannot mean something impossible and beyond His power, for the meaning would then be: he does not fear what is intrinsically impossible, outside the realm of possibility and beyond the scope of power.

For if such a thing cannot possibly exist—to the point that they say it is beyond His power even if He willed it, like creating an equal to Himself—how can its existence be conceived, let alone any fear of it be imagined, such that this fear should be negated? Moreover, what benefit is there in denying fear of such a thing? The context clearly shows that the intended meaning is that this person who does good will not be repaid for his goodness with injustice or deprivation. Thus, the injustice and deprivation being denied concern recompense, as the Quran commentators explained, and Allah recompenses him only according to his deeds.

Hence, the correct position, supported by the revealed texts, is that Allah punishes in the Hereafter only those who have sinned. As He says:

“I will surely fill Hell with you and all those among them who follow you.”

If anyone other than his followers entered it, it would not be filled with them alone. Accordingly, it is established in the two Sahīh collections, in the hadith about the dispute between Paradise and Hell, narrated by Abū Hurayrah and Anas:

“Hell will not be filled with those cast into it until it contracts upon itself and says, ‘Enough! Enough!’ after having said, ‘Is there any more?’ As for Paradise, space will remain beyond what is occupied by those who enter it from the people of this world, so Allah will bring another creation into being for it.”