whereas the believer is repaid for his good deeds in this world and rewarded for them in the Hereafter.”
Shaykh Muhammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The early scholars mentioned, in connection with this verse, several categories of behavior that people still practice today without grasping their reality:
1 The first: a righteous deed performed by many people solely for Allah’s sake—such as giving charity, praying, upholding family ties, showing kindness to others, or refraining from wrongdoing. A person does (or avoids) such acts sincerely for Allah, yet he does not seek their reward in the Hereafter; instead, he wants Allah to repay him by protecting and increasing his wealth, safeguarding his household and children, or perpetuating worldly favors upon them. He has no real desire for Paradise and no dread of the Fire. This person will receive the return for his deed in this life, but he will have no share in the Hereafter. Ibn ʿAbbas mentioned this category.
2 The second—and it is graver and more alarming than the first—is the case Mujahid said the verse was revealed about: someone performs righteous deeds so that people will see him, not to earn reward in the Hereafter.
3 The third: a person undertakes righteous acts with the aim of acquiring money—for example, he performs the pilgrimage for payment, migrates to attain some worldly gain or to marry a woman, or fights in jihad for the sake of booty. This category is also cited in the exegesis of the verse, just as a man might study religion for the benefit of his family’s school, their livelihood, or their status, or learn the Quran and keep up the prayers merely for the mosque stipend, as frequently happens.
4 The fourth: a person obeys Allah, dedicating his worship sincerely to Him alone with no partner, yet he holds a doctrine that constitutes disbelief and expels him from Islam—like the Jews and Christians who worship Allah, give charity, or fast seeking Allah’s countenance and the Hereafter, and like many others of this kind