is the one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe.”

He also said:

“The believers most complete in faith are those with the best character.”

Clearly, this includes the former: whoever has good character will act accordingly. Al-Hasan al-Basrī was asked, “What is good character?” He replied, “Giving generously, refraining from harm, and having a cheerful countenance.” Thus, refraining from harm is part of good character.

Authentic hadiths will follow in which he counted outward deeds as part of faith, such as his saying:

“Faith has seventy-odd branches. The highest is saying, ‘There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah,’ and the lowest is removing something harmful from the road.”

And his saying to the delegation of Abd al-Qays:

“I enjoin upon you faith in Allah alone. Do you know what faith in Allah alone is? Testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, with no partner, establishing prayer, giving zakāh, and paying one-fifth of whatever spoils you acquire.”

Clearly, he did not mean that these deeds constitute faith in Allah without faith in the heart, for he stated on numerous occasions that faith in the heart is indispensable. It is therefore evident that these deeds, together with faith in the heart, constitute faith.

In al-Musnad, Anas narrates that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“Islam is outwardly manifest, while faith is in the heart.”

He—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—also said:

“Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh: if it is sound, the rest of the body is sound; and if it is corrupt, the rest of the body is corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart.”

Thus, whoever has a sound heart will certainly have a sound body, but the reverse does not hold.

Sufyān ibn Uyaynah said:

“The scholars of earlier times used to write these words to one another: Whoever sets right his inward state, Allah will set right his outward state; and whoever sets right what lies between him