He appeared in the form of a man, just as ʿUmar described, in order to teach those present the matters of their religion through a dialogue of questions and answers.

This ḥadīth therefore highlights several major points:

1. Religion comprises three ascending levels: Islam, īmān (faith), and iḥsān (excellence). Each level is higher than the one before it, and each has its own pillars: the pillars of Islam, the pillars of īmān, while iḥsān rests on a single pillar.

2. It endorses instruction by means of question and answer—a highly effective pedagogical approach, for the question focuses the listener’s mind on expecting an answer, and when the reply is then given, it is grasped more firmly.

3. The narration also shows that when a person is asked about a matter of knowledge he does not possess, he should say, “Allah and His Messenger know best,” thereby referring the matter to the One who truly knows. He must not hazard a guess, for that is impermissible. When the Prophet ﷺ was asked about the Hour, he answered, “The one questioned about it knows no more than the questioner.” And when he asked the Companions, “Do you know who the questioner was?”—and they did not recognize him—they replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.”