- “Who is better in speech than one who calls to Allah, does righteous deeds, and says, ‘Indeed, I am one of the Muslims’?”
This is a rhetorical question conveying an established negation: no one is better in speech—that is, in words, conduct, and state—“than one who calls to Allah” by teaching the ignorant, admonishing the heedless and those who turn away, and debating those who uphold falsehood; by commanding people to worship Allah in all its forms, encouraging them to do so, and demonstrating its excellence as fully as possible; and by restraining them from what Allah has forbidden and exposing its ugliness in every way that will lead them to abandon it. Foremost in this calling is inviting people to the foundation of Islam and demonstrating its excellence, debating its enemies in the best manner, forbidding what opposes it—namely disbelief and polytheism—and enjoining right and forbidding wrong.
Calling to Allah also includes inspiring His servants to love Him by recounting His blessings in detail, the vastness of His generosity, the perfection of His mercy, His attributes of perfection, and His qualities of majesty.
Calling to Allah also includes encouraging people to acquire knowledge and guidance from the Book of Allah and the sunnah of His Messenger, and urging them toward this by every means that leads to it. This includes encouraging noble character, kindness toward all creation, responding to wrongdoing with kindness, maintaining ties of kinship, and honoring one’s parents.
It also includes admonishing people generally at appropriate seasons, during unforeseen events, and in times of calamity, in a manner suited to each circumstance—along with countless other matters encompassed by calling to every good and warning against every evil.
Then the Most High says: “and does righteous deeds.” That is, while calling people to Allah, he himself hastens to obey Allah’s command by performing righteous deeds that please his Lord. “And says, ‘Indeed, I am one of the Muslims’”—that is, one of those who submit to His command and follow His path. This rank reaches its perfection among the supremely truthful, who strive to perfect themselves and others and who attain the full legacy of the messengers. Conversely, among the people most evil in speech are those who are advocates of the misguided (1) and follow their paths.
Between these two contrasting ranks—one rising to the loftiest heights and the other descending to the lowest depths—are degrees known only to Allah, and every one of them is occupied by people: “For all are degrees according to what they have done, and your Lord is not unaware of what they do.”