and Isrāfīl, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your servants concerning their differences. By Your permission, guide me to the truth concerning which people have differed. Indeed, You guide whom You will to a straight path.”
In Sahīh Muslim, Tamīm al-Dārī, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“Religion is sincerity. Religion is sincerity. Religion is sincerity.” They asked, “To whom, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims, and their common people.”
Also in Sahīh Muslim, Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“Allah is pleased with three things for you: that you worship Him without associating anything with Him; that you hold firmly, all together, to the rope of Allah and do not become divided; and that you offer sincere counsel to those whom Allah has placed in authority over you.”
In the Sunan collections, Ibn Mas‘ūd and Zayd ibn Thābit, may Allah be pleased with them both, reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“May Allah brighten the face of someone who hears a hadith from us and conveys it to someone who has not heard it. One who conveys religious knowledge may convey it to someone with greater understanding than himself, and one who conveys religious knowledge may himself lack understanding. There are three things toward which a Muslim’s heart bears no malice: devoting one’s deeds sincerely to Allah, offering sincere counsel to those in authority, and adhering to the Muslim community, for their call encompasses them from behind.”
The well-known reading is yaghallu, with the a-vowel. The expression ghallā sadrahu fa-ghalla is used of someone whose breast is filled with deceit, rancour, and hatred. That is, a Muslim’s heart bears no malice toward these three qualities. They are the same three mentioned earlier in his words:
“Allah is pleased with three things for you: that you worship Him without associating anything with Him; that you hold firmly, all together, to the rope of Allah and do not become divided; and that you offer sincere counsel to those whom Allah has placed in authority over you.”
For if Allah