In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
 

The Everlasting Reward 

By Sayyid Qutb 
 

 The task of the Believers is to fulfil their obligation, and their
 obligation is to choose Allah, prefer belief over life, raise
 themselves above persecution through faith, and to testify to Allah
 with deed as well as intention. Then it is up to Allah to deal with
 them and with their enemies, with His Religion and His Call, as
 He deems proper. He may choose for them any one of the
 endings known in history, or some other ending which only He
 knows and sees.

 They are workers for Allah. Whenever, whatever, however He
 wants them to do their work, they should do it and take the known
 reward. To decide what will be the ending of their endeavor is
 neither in their power nor is it their responsibility. This is the
 responsibility of the One in authority, not of those who are mere
 workers.

 They receive the first part of their reward in the form of
 contentment of heart, height of understanding, beauty of ideas,
 liberation from desires and attractions, and freedom from fear
 and sorrow, in whatever condition they may be.

 They receive the second part of their reward in praise,
 remembrance and honour among the angels, in addition to these
 among the people of this earth.

 Then they receive the greater and the last part of their reward in
 the Hereafter: easy accounting and great favours.

 With every kind of reward, they also receive the greatest of
 rewards: the pleasure of Allah. It is His favour on them that He
 chose them for His purpose, an instrument for His power, so that
 He makes use of them on this earth as He deems proper.

 The Qur'anic training of the first noble generation of Muslims was
 of this character to the highest degree. They lost their
 personalities and identities in this matter, acting as workers for
 the One in authority, and were pleased with Allah in every
 decision and in every condition.

 The training by the Prophet -peace be on him- went side by side
 with the Qur'anic teachings, turning their hearts and eyes
 towards the Garden, and towards patiently persevering in their
 assigned task until Allah ordains what He intends in this world as
 well as what is pleasing to Him in the Hereafter.

 The Prophet -peace be on him- saw the intensity of tortures
 heaped upon 'Ammar, his father and his mother -may Allah be
 pleased with them- but he said nothing more than this: "Patience,
 family of Yasir! The Garden is promised for you."

 And Khabbab bin al-Aratt -may God be pleased with him-
 reported: "We complained to the Messenger of Allah -peace be
 on Him- while he was resting in the shadow of Ka'ba, saying,
 "Why do you not ask Allah to help us? Why do you not pray for
 us?" Then he said, "Before you, there were people who would
 catch a man, bury him half-way in a hole dug in the ground, then
 saw his head until it splits in two; or would comb with iron combs
 between his flesh and bones; yet this would not turn him away
 from his religion. By Allah! Allah will bring this matter to
 completion, and a time will come when a rider will ride alone from
 San'a to Hadramut and he will have no fear except of Allah, or of
 a wolf against his sheep; but you people are in a hurry". [Bukhari]