A man once asked, “Messenger of Allah, a person likes his garment to be fine and his sandals to be fine—is that arrogance?” He answered, “No. Arrogance is rejecting the truth and looking down on people.”

In the same way, when he was asked, “What is Islam, what is faith (īmān), and what is excellence (iḥsān)?” or when he was questioned about certain items—whether they were wine or something else—he provided precise clarifications.

In short, every nation in every language urgently needs to know such definitions, for grasping them is essential to communication, the very speech without which the children of Adam cannot function.

Categories of verbal definitions:

What is called a “definition by name,” offered in response to the question “What is it?”, falls under this heading. The reply may be a true synonym, or an equivalent term that is not strictly synonymous yet indicates the same entity along with an added attribute. Thus, if someone asks, “What is the Straight Path (al-ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm)?” one may say, “It is Islam and following the Qur’an,” or “obedience to Allah and His Messenger,” or “beneficial knowledge and righteous action.” Likewise, if someone asks, “What is a ṣārim?” the answer may be, “It is the muhannad,” and so forth.

The answer may also be provided by giving an example, as when one is asked about the word “bread” and he points to