in the command of war lies in courage of heart and familiarity with warfare, while strength in judging between people lies in knowing the justice indicated by the Book and the Sunnah and in possessing the power to carry out the rulings.

The combination of capability, strength, and trustworthiness is rare among people. When a position calls more urgently for trustworthiness, the trustworthy person is given precedence—for example, in guarding wealth and the like. As for collecting that wealth, both strength and honesty are required: a strong individual is appointed to extract it by his strength, and a trustworthy scribe preserves it through his expertise and integrity. Part of this also includes working to rectify affairs until the people have in place whatever offices, governorships, and the like they cannot dispense with, for whatever is indispensable for fulfilling a duty becomes itself a duty.

3 – As for the ḥadīth here, the intended strength concerns deeds of the Hereafter: boldness in jihad, firmness in commanding right and forbidding wrong, patience in the face of harm, endurance of hardship for Allah’s sake, and fulfilling His rights through acts of obedience.

4 – By contrast, the weak believer cannot attain the full measure of these aims, yet the presence of faith still keeps him from being deprived of good. Faith is the foundation of all goodness and blessing, and it must yield some benefit, whatever it may be.

5 – His words, “Be eager for whatever benefits you,” apply to both religious and worldly matters. The greatest benefit and loftiest aim is sought through obeying Allah, for in that lies eternal happiness. This is the supreme benefit and the grand objective—for its sake the diligent should labor, and over it the competitors should vie. It is the tremendous gain and the immense profit.

A servant needs worldly matters just as he needs his religious affairs, and he is commanded to pursue the avenues and powerful means that will bring him what he needs in