and the other following him, as the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to Mālik ibn al-Huwayrith and his companion:

“When the time for prayer comes, give the call to prayer and the call for its commencement, and let the older of you lead you both.”

They were comparable in their Quran recitation.

As for ordinary affairs, the Sunan collections record that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“It is not lawful for three people travelling together to leave one of their number unappointed as their leader.”

Since commanding and forbidding are inseparable from human existence, whoever does not enjoin the right that Allah and His Messenger have commanded, forbid the wrong that Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, receive commands to do the right that Allah and His Messenger have commanded, and receive prohibitions against the wrong that Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, will nevertheless inevitably command and forbid, and be commanded and forbidden. This will concern either the opposite of those things or a mixture of the truth that Allah has revealed and falsehood that Allah has not revealed. If this is adopted as a religion, it becomes an innovated religion.

Similarly, every human being acts by his own will, forming intentions and undertaking actions. If his intention is not righteous and his deed is not a righteous deed performed for Allah’s sake, then his deed will either be corrupt or be performed for other than Allah’s sake. That is what is vain, as the Most High says:

“Indeed, your efforts are diverse.”

All such deeds are vain, of the same kind as the deeds of the disbelievers:

“Those who disbelieve and turn others away from Allah’s way—He will render their deeds worthless.”

The Most High also says:

“As for those who disbelieve, their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty person mistakes for water, until, when he reaches it, he finds nothing there