What has been preserved of the Prophet’s praise of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) at great gatherings—such as the Friday sermon, the sermon during Hajj at the jamrah, and the sermon of need—is:

“Praise belongs to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and ask His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves. Whoever Allah guides, none can lead astray; and whoever He leads astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.” (1)

In all these sermons, “I bear witness” is singular, whereas “we seek His help,” “we praise Him,” and “we ask His forgiveness” are plural.

Shaykh al-Islām Abū al-‘Abbās ibn Taymiyyah—may Allah sanctify his soul—said:

“Since a servant may seek forgiveness for himself and seek help for himself and others, the plural wording is appropriate here. As for bearing witness to Allah’s oneness and to His Messenger’s messengership, no one can do so on another’s behalf. Such testimony admits no representation whatsoever; one person’s testimony is not dependent on another’s, and whoever bears witness does so only for himself.” This is the meaning of his words. (2)

These, then, are examples of the occasions for praise in the words of Allah, His Messenger, his Companions, and the angels. I have unveiled their beauties before you, [and] (3) brought you (4) their treasures. Had the hadith in question contained the finest, most perfect, and most comprehensive of these praises—as some have supposed—it would have been the central jewel in their necklace, and the most frequently used in praising the Lord of Majesty and Honor.