is cast away, rejected and repelled by the heart. He likened the beneficial water that remains in the earth to the beneficial faith that remains in the hearts.

The hadith narrated by Abū Mūsā from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has also been cited previously:

“The guidance and knowledge with which Allah sent me are like rain that fell upon a land. One part absorbed the water and produced grass and abundant vegetation. Another part retained the water, so people drank from it, used it for watering, and grew crops. Another part consisted only of level plains: they neither retained water nor produced grass. This is the likeness of one who gains understanding of Allah’s religion and benefits from the guidance and knowledge with which Allah sent me, and the likeness of one who pays no heed to it and does not accept Allah’s guidance with which I was sent.”

Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) divided people into three categories in relation to the guidance and knowledge with which he was sent, which he likened to rain:

One group accepted it and benefited from it themselves, in both knowledge and practice. Another group preserved it and conveyed it to others. A third group did neither.

The words of Allah Most High:

“You did not know what the Book was, nor what faith was”

are analogous to His words:

“Say, ‘If I go astray, I go astray only to my own detriment; but if I am guided, it is through what my Lord reveals to me.’”