“Allah and His Messenger have more right to be pleased.”

We must fear Allah and fear no one but Him, as the Most High says:

“Do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are believers.”

He also says:

“Do not fear people, but fear Me.”

And He says:

“Fear Me alone.”

“And be mindful of Me alone.”

We must therefore fear Allah and remain mindful of Him in our dealings with people. We must not wrong them, either in our hearts or through our actions, and we must fulfil their rights both in our hearts and through our actions. We must not let fear of them cause us to abandon what Allah and His Messenger have commanded.

Whoever adheres to this path will ultimately prevail, as ʿĀʾishah wrote to Muʿāwiyah:

“To proceed: Whoever seeks people’s approval at the cost of Allah’s displeasure, Allah will be displeased with him and will cause people to be displeased with him; those who once praised him will come to condemn him. Whoever seeks Allah’s approval at the cost of people’s displeasure, Allah will be pleased with him and will cause people to be pleased with him.”

The believer’s thoughts and intentions are therefore directed only towards pleasing his Lord and avoiding His displeasure, and the final outcome will be in his favour. There is no power nor strength except through Allah.

Moreover, the envoy was inwardly delighted with these matters. Whatever he outwardly displays is merely for show before his companion; in reality, the two are inwardly at odds. There are also matters known to their inner circle. Al-Taybarsī alone suffices: numerous reports establish his joy and delight at what happened, even though he was the adversary who had been treated sternly. Whether this was so or not, the principle that must be followed is the first one. As for the Prophet’s words:

“Do not initiate fighting against them; if they come close to you, shoot arrows at them.”

We accept them wholeheartedly. We did not shoot until they sought to harm us and had come close to us. That is why Allah brought benefit through it.