and the Hereafter. Yet Allah is the One to be thanked for His gracious blessings, favours and gifts: whatever He decrees for a believer is good for him. Those with good intentions deserve thanks for their intentions, and those who do good deserve thanks for their deeds. As for those who do evil, we ask Allah to turn to them in forgiveness. You know this to be my character, and this disposition is now stronger and more firmly established than before. However, concerning people’s rights against one another and Allah’s rights over them, they remain subject to Allah’s judgment.

You know that Abū Bakr, foremost among the truthful, swore during the affair of the slander—concerning which Allah revealed verses of the Quran—that he would no longer support Mistah ibn Uthāthah, because he had been among those who spread the slander. Allah Most High then revealed:

“Let not those among you who possess virtue and wealth swear to withhold aid from their relatives, the needy, and those who emigrated for Allah’s cause. Let them pardon and overlook. Would you not love for Allah to forgive you? Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

When this was revealed, Abū Bakr said, “Yes indeed, by Allah! I would love for Allah to forgive me.” He then restored the financial support he had been providing to Mistah.

Alongside the forgiveness and kindness already mentioned, and other such acts many times over, striving to uphold the Book and wisdom with which Allah sent His Messenger remains indispensable:

“Allah will bring forth a people whom He loves and who love Him, humble toward the believers, mighty against the disbelievers, striving in Allah’s cause and fearing no blame from any critic. That is Allah’s bounty