Whoever brings a good deed, shall receive tenfold the like of it, this being the least of the degrees of reward. For the good deed issues by the manifestation of the heart, while the evil deed by the manifestation of the soul. Thus the smallest degrees of the reward for it [the good deed] is that he should arrive at the station of the heart which comes after the station of the soul in terms of ascension in the way that the level of tens comes after that of ones in the context of numbers; and whoever brings an evil deed shall only be requited the like of it, since there is no station lower than the station of the soul and so he necessarily descends to it and finds his recompense at the station of the soul to be the like of [the deed]. From this it can be inferred that reward pertains to [God's] bounty, for its recipient is enhanced by it and his preparedness is illumined [thereby] and his receptivity to the effusion of the Truth is increased, strengthening him many times his deed, causing him to acquire rewards that multiply infinitely by the increased receptivity upon the performance of every good deed and the increase in capacity for, and love of, the good deed upon the increase of the effusion to an extent which only God knows, as He says after having mentioned its doubling up to seven hundred times: and God multiplies [the reward] for whom He will [Q. 2:261]. And [it can be inferred] that punishment pertains to [God's] justice, since justice entails equality and so the one who acts through his soul, but is not pardoned, is recompensed with the soul equally. Remember what is said in His statement, exalted be He for it is what it has merited and against it is what it has earned [Q. 2:286]. Virtue for man is essential, causing him ever to rise higher, while with vice, its darkness is accidental to the primordial nature. Thus as long as it [the vice] is not deliberate or intentional on the part of the person, or it is [so] but he does not persist in it, it is pardoned and does not veil him. But if it is [intentional] and he persists in it, he is recompensed at the station of the soul with the like of it.
