a sinner among the believers (1), and that He will bring those guilty of major sins out of the Fire, leaving none of the people of monotheism (2) therein forever. He will also bring out anyone who has even an atom’s weight of faith in his heart. The Imāmiyya agree with them (3) on this.

As for entitlement, they say:

“The servant has no inherent claim to anything from Allah, nor may he impose anything upon his Lord, whether for himself or for anyone else.”

They also say:

“He will necessarily reward the obedient as He has promised, for He is truthful in His promise and never breaks it. We therefore know that the reward will occur because He has informed (4) us of it. As for whether He has made it incumbent upon Himself, and whether this can be known through reason, Ahl al-Sunnah differ on this, as [was noted] previously (5).”

Thus, regarding the claim that they say, “[The obedient person] does not deserve (6) a reward”: if what is meant is that the obedient person does not, in and of himself, impose a reward (7) upon his Lord, and that no other creature has imposed it (8), then this is indeed (9) what Ahl al-Sunnah say. If, however, what is meant is that this reward is not an established and known matter, and a right that will in fact be fulfilled, then this is mistaken. And if what is meant is that He—glorified and exalted is He—does not establish it as a right—