and patience will find that every decree Allah ordains is good for him, as stated in the authentic hadith in which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Allah decrees nothing for the believer except that it is good for him. This is true of no one but the believer: if prosperity comes his way, he is thankful, and that is good for him; if adversity befalls him, he is patient, and that is good for him.”

Affirming Allah’s exclusive right to worship means worshipping Allah without associating anything with Him, obeying Him and His messengers, and doing what He loves and is pleased with. As for affirming Allah’s oneness in lordship, this encompasses whatever He has determined and decreed, even if it is not something He has commanded, made obligatory, or been pleased with. The servant is commanded to worship Allah and do what He has commanded—this is affirming His exclusive right to worship—and to seek Allah’s help in doing so, which is affirming His oneness. Thus, he says:

“You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help.”

And Allah knows best.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—was asked:

If someone takes two steps backward when he wishes to prostrate during prayer, is that disliked or not?

He answered:

Stepping backward when prostrating is not a sunnah and should not be done, unless the space is cramped, in which case one may step backward to make room to prostrate.