that brick.” Through him Allah perfected the religion—one that enjoins every good, forbids every evil, permits all that is wholesome, and proscribes all that is foul.

The messengers before him sometimes had certain wholesome things made unlawful for their nations, as Allah says:

“Because of the wrongdoing of those who were Jews, We forbade them good things that had formerly been lawful to them.” (4:160)

Nor were all repugnant things necessarily forbidden to them, for the Almighty also says:

“All food was lawful for the Children of Israel except what Israel made unlawful for himself before the Torah was revealed.” (3:93)

Forbidding what is foul falls under “forbidding what is wrong,” just as permitting what is wholesome falls under “commanding what is right,” for banning wholesome things is itself something Allah has prohibited. Hence the comprehensive command to every good and the prohibition of every evil were perfected only through the Messenger by whom Allah completed noble character, all of which is included in “what is right.”

Allah the Exalted declares:

“Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam for you as religion.” (5:3)

Thus Allah has perfected the religion for us, completed His favor upon us, and approved Islam for us as our faith.

He likewise described this community with the same qualities He assigned to its Prophet when He said:

“You are the best community ever raised for mankind: you enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in Allah.” (3:110)

And He said:

“The believing men and believing women are allies of one another; they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong.” (9:71)

For this reason Abū Hurayrah said: “You were the best…"