al-A‘mash, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “For me to say, ‘Glory be to Allah; praise be to Allah; none has the right to be worshipped but Allah; and Allah is Most Great,’ is dearer to me than all that the sun rises upon.” (1)

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Abu Mansur Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Sam‘an informed us; Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abd al-Jabbar informed us; Humayd ibn Zanjawayh narrated to us; Uthman narrated to us, from Abu Salih; Ibn Lahi‘ah narrated to us; Darraj narrated to us, from Abu al-Haytham, from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “Increase in the enduring righteous deeds.” It was asked, “What are they, O Messenger of Allah?” [He said, “The religion.” It was asked, “And what is it, O Messenger of Allah?”] (2) He said: “Saying ‘Allah is Most Great,’ declaring that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, glorifying Allah, praising Allah, and saying, ‘There is neither might nor power except through Allah, the Most High, the Magnificent.’” (3)

Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, Masruq, and Ibrahim said: “The enduring righteous deeds are the five daily prayers.” This has also been narrated from Ibn Abbas. (4)

Another report from him states that they are righteous deeds. (5) This was also the view of Qatadah.

Allah’s saying, “better with your Lord in reward,” means: in recompense; “and better in hope,” means: better than that which a person hopes for.

“And the Day We shall set the mountains in motion, and you will see the earth laid bare; and We shall gather them, leaving none of them behind.” (47)

Regarding His saying, “And the Day We shall set the mountains in motion”: Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, and Ibn Amir recited it as “the mountains will be set in motion,” with the letter ta and a fathah on the letter ya, making “the mountains” nominative. Evidence for this is His saying: “And when the mountains are set in motion.” (al-Takwir 81:3)

The others recited it with the letter nun and a kasrah on the letter ya, making “the mountains” accusative. Setting the mountains in motion means moving them from one place to another.

“And you will see the earth laid bare,” that is, exposed, with no tree, mountain, or vegetation upon it, as He says: “He will leave it a level plain, in which you will see no crookedness or ruggedness.” (Ta-Ha 20:107)