to purify himself,
with no favour owed to anyone to be repaid,
but seeking only the Face of his Lord Most High.
And he will surely be pleased.”

It is established in the authentic hadith collections that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Of all people, Abū Bakr has been the most generous to us with his companionship and his wealth. Were I to take anyone on earth as an intimate friend, I would take Abū Bakr as an intimate friend.”

Thus, none of the Companions surpassed al-Siddīq in what he offered of himself and his wealth. Abū Bakr did this seeking the Face of his Lord Most High, without seeking any recompense from a created being. Allah Most High therefore said:

“But the most righteous will be spared it,
who gives his wealth to purify himself,
with no favour owed to anyone to be repaid,
but seeking only the Face of his Lord Most High.
And he will surely be pleased.”

Al-Siddīq owed no one a favour requiring repayment, for his earnings and wealth made him independent of everyone. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had bestowed upon al-Siddīq and others the blessing of faith and knowledge. That blessing cannot be repaid, for the Messenger’s reward for it rests with Allah, as He Most High said:

“And I ask you for no reward for it. My reward is only with the Lord of the worlds.”

As for ‘Alī, Zayd and others, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had bestowed upon them favours that could be repaid. Zayd had been his slave, and he freed him. Allah Most High said:

“And when you said to the one whom Allah had favoured and whom you had favoured, ‘Keep your wife.’”

‘Alī was among the dependants of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, because of a drought that had afflicted the people of Mecca. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and al-‘Abbās wished to lighten Abū Tālib’s burden of supporting his dependants. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, therefore took ‘Alī into his household, and al-‘Abbās took Ja‘far into his. This is discussed at length elsewhere.

The point here is that al-Siddīq was the most generous of all people with his companionship and his wealth to the best of