and the owner of the item is now simply waiting for the contract to be finalized—such as when the would-be buyer says, “Sell it to me for one thousand,” and the seller inclines toward him, yet the sale has not been concluded, only determined in the seller’s mind. Then a third person comes along and says, “I will give you one thousand and one hundred.” This is unlawful, for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Do not bid over your brother’s bid.”
The same principle applies to marriage: when a man has proposed to a woman, it is impermissible for anyone else to propose after him, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Nor may one propose over his brother’s proposal.” All of this safeguards the mutual rights of Muslims. Hence it is forbidden for anyone to encroach upon his brother’s rights—whether in buying, selling, leasing, bidding, marriage, or any other entitlement.
We still must consider his ﷺ statement: “Taqwā is here,” as he pointed to his chest. We have already explained that taqwā (piety) resides in the heart: when the heart is mindful of Allah, the limbs follow suit; but when the heart deviates, the limbs deviate as well—Allah’s refuge is sought. The Exalted said: “That will make it more likely that they will give testimony in its true form, or else they will fear that their oaths may be rejected after they have sworn; so be mindful of Allah and listen. Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people” (al-Māʾidah 5:108).
Understand that a heart’s deviation happens only through a person’s own doing. If someone seeks evil instead of good, Allah causes his heart to swerve—Allah forbid. Proof lies in His words: “So when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate” (al-Ṣaff 61:5); and in His words: “O Prophet, say to the captives in your hands: ‘If Allah knows any good in your hearts, He will give you something better than what has been taken from you and will forgive you; Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful’” (al-Anfāl 8:70).
Thus, when Allah knows that a servant harbors a righteous intention and truly desires good, He makes the path to it easy and grants him His aid.