evil is from yourself.” The scholars explain: whatever victory, provision, and well-being come to you are among Allah’s blessings upon you, while whatever calamities befall you are due to your sins. As Allah Most High says:

“Whatever calamity befalls you is because of what your own hands have earned, and He pardons much.”

They also all agree that worship must be devoted to Allah alone, that trust must be placed in Him alone, and that reverent fear and piety must be directed to Allah alone. The Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has rights that no one else in the community shares, such as the obligation to obey him in everything he makes obligatory and commands. Allah Most High says:

“Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.”

And Allah Most High says:

“We sent no messenger except to be obeyed by Allah’s permission.”

Thus, pledging allegiance to him was pledging allegiance to Allah. As Allah Most High says:

“Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you are actually pledging allegiance to Allah.”

For they pledged to obey him in jihad and not to flee, even if they died. This obedience to him is obedience to Allah.

We must love the Messenger more than ourselves, our fathers, our children, our families, and our wealth. As related in the authentic hadith, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“By Him in Whose hand is my soul, none of you believes until I am dearer to him than his father, his child, and all people.”

This was narrated by al-Bukhārī and Muslim. One wording narrated by Muslim includes: “and his family and his wealth.”

In al-Bukhārī, Abd Allāh ibn Hishām said:

“We were with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was holding the hand of Umar ibn al-Khattāb