except Allah Most High, including duties whose neglect is a greater sin than drinking wine or unlawful sexual intercourse. Nevertheless, they have not regarded such neglect as impugning a person’s uprightness, either because they fail to appreciate how numerous the obligations are, or because they focus on avoiding sins rather than fulfilling obligations. This is not how matters stand in the Sharia. In short, this must be taken into account in matters of reward and punishment, praise and blame, allegiance and enmity. This is a matter of great importance.

As for the assertion, “Muslims are presumed upright,” it is false. Rather, the default condition of the children of Adam is injustice and ignorance, as Allah Most High says:

“But man undertook it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant.”

Merely uttering the two testimonies of faith does not move a person from injustice and ignorance to justice. And (the rules governing testimony hinge on the witness being acceptable, or being an upright person who strives for fairness and justice in his words and deeds, and for truthfulness in his testimony and reports. This is often found despite shortcomings in many of those qualities, just as the qualities they stipulate are often found without this. We have frequently encountered both kinds of people.

It may, however, be said that those qualities give grounds for expecting truthfulness, justice and the fulfilment of the purpose of testimony, and serve as evidence and signs of this. For the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said in the hadith agreed to be authentic:

“Adhere to truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise.”

And so on to the end of the hadith.