And in the lengthy hadith of Abū Dharr:

“I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, how many books did Allah reveal?’ He replied, ‘One hundred and four books: thirty scrolls to Seth, fifty to Idrīs, ten to Abraham, and ten to Moses before the Torah. He also revealed the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, and the Criterion.’”

Later in the hadith, he asks, “Do we have anything of what was contained in the scrolls of Abraham?” He replies, “Yes,” and recites Allah’s words:

“Successful indeed is the one who purifies himself, remembers the name of his Lord and prays. Yet you prefer the life of this world, though the Hereafter is better and more enduring. Indeed, this is in the earlier scriptures—the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.”

Self-purification means becoming pure and blessed by abandoning evil deeds, which brings purity and growth to the soul. As Allah says:

“Successful indeed is the one who purifies it.”

Thus zakāh (purification) is sometimes explained as growth and increase, and sometimes as cleansing and removal. In truth, it combines both: removing evil and increasing good. This is righteous action and doing good. Yet it avails only with sincere devotion to Allah and worship of Him alone, without any partner, which is the foundation of faith. This is expressed in His words:

“And remembers the name of his Lord and prays.”

These three things may be said to resemble the three that Allah brings together in various places in the Quran, as in His words at the beginning of al-Baqarah:

“A guidance for the God-fearing, who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.”

And likewise His words: