Then he recited: “O mankind! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female”; then he said: “I say this, and I seek Allah’s forgiveness for myself and for you.” (1)

Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nu‘aymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il narrated to us; Muhammad—namely Ibn Salam—narrated to us; ⦗137a⦘ Abdah narrated to us, from Ubayd Allah, from Sa‘id ibn Abi Sa‘id, from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked, “Which people are the most noble?” He replied, “The most noble of them before Allah are those most mindful of Him.” They said, “That is not what we are asking you about.” He said, “Then the most noble of people is Joseph, the Prophet of Allah, son of a Prophet of Allah, son of a Prophet of Allah, son of the intimate friend of Allah.” They said, “That is not what we are asking you about.” He said, “Are you asking me about the roots of the Arabs?” They said, “Yes.” He said: “The best of you in the Age of Ignorance are the best of you in Islam, if they gain understanding of the religion.” (2)

Isma‘il ibn Abd al-Qahir informed us; Abd al-Ghafir ibn Muhammad informed us; Muhammad ibn Isa al-Juludi informed us; Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Sufyan narrated to us; Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj narrated to us; Amr al-Naqid narrated to us; Kathir ibn Hisham narrated to us; Ja‘far ibn Barqan narrated to us, from Yazid ibn al-Asamm, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Indeed, Allah does not look at your outward forms or your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and your deeds.” (3)

“The nomadic Arabs say, ‘We believe.’ Say, ‘You have not believed. Rather, say, “We have submitted,” for faith has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish anything of your deeds. Indeed, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’” (14)

His saying, exalted is He: “The nomadic Arabs say, ‘We believe,’” to the end of the verse—was revealed concerning a group from Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah who came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during a year of drought. They outwardly professed Islam, though they were not believers inwardly. They fouled the roads of Medina with excrement and drove up its prices. Morning and evening, they would come to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying: “The Arabs have come to you of their own accord upon their mounts, while we have come to you with our baggage, dependents, and children. Nor did we fight you as such-and-such a clan and such-and-such a clan fought you.” They sought to remind the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, of this as a favor, while desiring charity, and would say, “Give us.” So Allah revealed this verse concerning them. (4)