9. For a full appreciation of this point it is necessary, to remember that
man's deeds will be classified into positive and negative categorics. The positive
category will consist of knowing the truth, believing in it, acting upon it,
and striving to make it prevail. It is such acts alone which will have weight
in the Hereafter. Conversely, whenever someone follows and goes after lusts
or blindly follows other humans or satans, his acts will be reckoned as 'negative'.
Such acts will not only be of no value at all, but will also have the effect
of reducing the total weight of one's positive acts.
Thus, a man's success in the Hereafter requires that his good acts outweigh
his evil ones to such an extent that even if his evil acts cause the effacement
of some of his good acts, he should still have enough left in his credit to
ensure his scale is inclined towards the positive. As for the man whose evil
acts outweigh his good acts, he will be like the bankrupt businessman who, even
after spending all his assets, remains under the burden of debt.