The author then proceeds to cite a number of verses, among them Allah’s words: “Whoever venerates the sanctities of Allah—that is better for him with his Lord” (Al-Ḥajj 30). To venerate His sanctities means to honor whatever He has declared inviolable—whether places, times, or persons. Whoever does so, it is for his own good with his Lord. If someone finds it burdensome or distasteful to revere a particular place, such as the Two Sacred Precincts or other mosques, or a particular time, such as the four sacred months—Dhu l-Qaʿdah, Dhu l-Ḥijjah, Muḥarram, and Rajab—he must force his soul and compel it to give those sanctities their due honor.

Part of that veneration is to honor one’s fellow Muslims and accord them the rank they deserve, for it is unlawful for a Muslim to belittle his brother. The Prophet ﷺ said, “It is enough sin for a man to hold his Muslim brother in contempt.” The preposition bi in the phrase bi-ḥasb is superfluous; the meaning is, “It is sufficient evil for him that he should despise his Muslim brother,” whether that contempt resides in the heart or manifests itself through the tongue or the hand. Such an attitude alone suffices as a grave sin—Allah’s protection is sought.

Likewise, one must respect what Allah has sanctified in the treaties concluded between Muslims and non-Muslims. It is not permissible for anyone to break a covenant he has entered into with a non-Muslim party.

Those under treaty are divided into three categories:

1. Those who have fulfilled their covenant; we, therefore, must fulfill ours with them.