seventy branches, the highest of which is saying, ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,’ and the lowest of which is removing something harmful from the road.”1. Thus, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, he made the declaration that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah the highest and most exalted branch of faith. In the Musnad, Abū Dharr—may Allah be pleased with him—said: “I asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, is saying, “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,” among the good deeds?’ He replied, ‘It is the best of good deeds.’”2, The hadiths conveying this meaning are exceedingly numerous, and many of them have already been discussed.

This is not contradicted by the established report that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said: “The best words are those Allah chose for His angels: ‘Glory be to Allah and praise be to Him.’”3; for, as Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyya—may Allah have mercy on him—stated, this does not entail that they are the best in every respect. This is demonstrated by the fact that reciting the Quran is superior to remembrance, yet the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—forbade its recitation while bowing or prostrating. He said: “I have been forbidden to recite the Quran while bowing or prostrating. While bowing, therefore, magnify the Lord; and while prostrating, strive earnestly in supplication, for then you are more likely to receive an answer.”4.

Here lies a great principle highlighted by Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah have mercy on him: when something is superior in general, it does not necessarily follow that it is superior in every circumstance or for every person. Rather, an intrinsically lesser act, when performed in the context for which it was prescribed, is superior to that which is superior in absolute terms—just as glorifying Allah while bowing and prostrating is better than the recitation of