Look—may God guide you—at the two statements: how our Master—exalted be his glory—praised His servants who recognize Him, and blamed the disbelievers upon whom the word of punishment has become due and who are blind to the path of correctness. How did the Exalted say regarding them: {God has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil. And for them is a great punishment}1. This punishment befalls them after the deed as a penalty, for God the Almighty is Justice and does not wrong in His judgment.
(527) As the Lord Mim—exalted be his glory—said in one of his sermons: "Indeed God does not wrong and does not permit the wrong of a wrongdoer; He is in observation to recompense those who did evil with what they did, and recompense those who did good with the best." And His words: {Whoever does a righteous deed, it is for himself; and whoever does evil, it is against it. And your Lord is not ever unjust to [His] servants}2.
{And of the people are some who say, "We believe in God and the Last Day," but they are not believers. ❁ They [think to] deceive God and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not}3. These are those who liken themselves to the Monotheists (al-Muwahhidun), saying: "We are of you and upon your doctrine," but they are not so. God informed of them that they are not believers because they [try to] deceive God. That is because {In their hearts is a disease, so God has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie}4 regarding the Oneness of God and His recognition.