for a blessing, so that Allah would thereby spare them the need to slaughter their riding animals. He did so.”

An authentic report likewise relates: “He gave Abū Hurayrah his sandal so that he could give people the glad tidings that those who affirm Allah’s oneness will be in Paradise. 'Umar met him and sent him back. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘If they hear this, they will rely on it,’ so he abandoned this.”

Indeed, he would give them commands that they were obliged to obey, yet some would raise objections that were not valid grounds for opposition, and he would answer them.

An authentic report relates: “He forbade them to fast continuously without breaking their fast at night. They said, ‘But you fast continuously.’ He replied, ‘I am not like you. I spend the night with my Lord, who feeds me and gives me drink.’”

Clearly, this is an invalid objection. If one of the jurists’ students raised it, another would reply that his commands and prohibitions must be obeyed, and that his rulings are binding upon the Muslim community by the consensus of the Muslims. Indeed, this is necessarily known to be part of his religion, even though some people