Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AT TAUBAH [105]

105. And say ”Do deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers. And you will be brought back to the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. Then He will inform you of what you used to do.'' Mujahid said that this Ayah carries a warning from Allah to those who defy His orders. Their deeds will be shown to Allah, Blessed and Most Honored, and to the Messenger and the believers. This will certainly occur on the Day of Resurrection, just as Allah said,

(That Day shall you be brought to Judgement, not a secret of you will be hidden.) ï´¿69:18ï´¾,

(The Day when all the secrets will be examined.)ï´¿86:9ï´¾, and,

(And that which is in the breasts (of men) shall be made known.)﴿100:10﴾ Allah might also expose some deeds to the people in this life. Al-Bukhari said that `Aishah said, ”If the good deeds of a Muslim person please you, then say,

(Do deeds! Allah will see your deeds, and (so will) His Messenger and the believers.)'' There is a Hadith that carries a similar meaning. Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said,

(Do not be pleased with someone's deeds until you see what his deeds in the end will be like. Verily, one might work for some time of his life with good deeds, so that if he dies while doing it, he will enter Paradise. However, he changes and commits evil deeds. one might commit evil deeds for some time in his life, so that if he dies while doing them he will enter the Fire. However, he changes and performs good deeds. If Allah wants the good of a servant He employs him before he dies.) He was asked, ”How would Allah employ him, O Allah's Messenger'' He said,

(He directs him to perform good deeds and takes his life in that condition.) Only Imam Ahmad collected this Hadith.