—cannot possibly abandon the prayer. Such a thing is inconceivable. Whoever claims, “I say lā ilāha illā Allah, seeking thereby the Face of Allah,” yet does not pray, is among the most blatant of liars. Had he truly been seeking Allah’s Face, he would never have neglected the prayer, which is the greatest pillar of Islam after the two testimonies of faith.

This ḥadith contains several benefits:

1. Anyone whose circumstances resemble those of ʿItbān b. Mālik is excused from attending the congregational prayer and may perform it in his own home. Thus, if a valley, mud, water, or any other obstacle lies between him and the mosque so that he cannot cross it, he is pardoned.

2. It is permissible for a person to say, “I will do it tomorrow,” even if he does not add in shāʾ Allāh. For example, when someone asks, “Will you visit us tomorrow?” he may answer, “I will come.” Someone might ask: how do we reconcile this with Allah’s statement, “And never say about anything, ‘I shall certainly do that tomorrow,’ without [also saying] ‘If Allah wills’ ” (al-Kahf 18:23-24), where the expression “about anything” is universal, whether it concerns an act of Allah or your own action?

We reply that the person who says, “I will come to you tomorrow,” may have one of two intentions:

First intention: he utters it as a decisive assertion that the deed will definitely occur. In this case, he must add “if Allah wills,” for he does not know whether tomorrow will even arrive for him, whether he will then have the ability to come, or whether—if able—some impediment might arise.

Second intention: he says it merely to convey the resolve that is presently in his heart, without guaranteeing the action itself. This is unobjectionable, for he is speaking of something that already exists. For instance, if someone asks you, “Are you going to travel to Mecca?” and you reply, “Yes, I will travel,” you are simply informing him of the intention that