• and speaking openly about them;
• and drawing upon them for strength to obey the Benefactor rather than disobey Him;
• and all of that must be accompanied by humility before the One who bestowed them;
• and by love for Him.
With these five pillars gratitude is rendered complete.

• Al-birr (righteousness) and al-taqwā (God-fearingness) for Allah’s sake:
  • When either term is mentioned on its own, it automatically includes the other, for it is an all-embracing name that covers doing everything Allah and His Messenger love—outwardly and inwardly—and avoiding everything Allah and His Messenger dislike—outwardly and inwardly.
  • But when the two appear together, as in: “Cooperate in al-birr and al-taqwā” (Al-Māʾidah 5:2),
  – al-birr is explained as upholding the tenets of faith, its manners, and every righteous deed, whether personal or benefiting others;
  – al-taqwā is explained as guarding oneself from whatever angers Allah: disbelief, depravity, and disobedience.

• Truthfulness (ṣidq) and falsehood (kadhib):
  • Truthfulness means that a person’s outward and inward states agree in their steadfastness upon the Straight Path.
  – Truthfulness in creed: the servant’s beliefs are sound, salafī, derived from the Book of Allah, the sunnah of His Messenger, and what the Companions—may Allah be pleased with them—were upon.
  – Truthfulness in character: the heart is full(1) of faith, sincerity, yearning for Allah, goodwill toward His servants, and love of good for them.