enters Paradise, he will not be like someone who, let us suppose, accepted faith in general terms and died before its details became known, before fully realizing them or acting upon any of them. Such a person enters Paradise, but is not like those others.

Yet it may be said:

The righteous, those on the right, also occupy different ranks, as stated in the authentic hadith in which the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, though there is good in both.”

Allah Most High has also said:

“Those believers who remain behind, other than those with disabilities, are not equal…”

—to the end of the verse. Thus, the strong believer’s rank in Paradise is higher, even though each has fulfilled everything obligatory upon him. When Abū Tālib and others say, “This person is not among the distinguished believers,” they may mean precisely this: his faith is not like that of someone who has fully realized the distinctive qualities of faith, whether among the righteous or those brought near to Allah. This may be so even if he has neglected no obligation, because he was incapable of it or had not been commanded to perform it. He is therefore not blameworthy, but neither is he praised as those people are, nor does it follow that he is among those brought near to Allah.

The reply is:

This, too, does not negate his faith.

It may then be said:

He is a Muslim, not a believer, just as one may say, “He is not a scholar, a mufti, or someone qualified to exercise independent legal judgment.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“If one of you were to spend gold equal to Mount Uhud, it would not match a mudd (a small dry measure) given by one of them, nor even half of it.”

There are many such examples. Not every distinction by which a superior person excels is attainable by those below him. Likewise, some realities of faith are beyond the capacity of many people—indeed, most of them. These people enter Paradise even though they have not realized the realities of faith through which Allah has favored others over them. Nor have they neglected anything obligatory upon them, even if it is obligatory upon others. For this reason, faith includes