and each time he finishes a prayer he is already looking forward to the next one. The mosques are places of prostration—whether they were erected specifically for prayer or not is beside the point; what matters is that he is always eager for the prayer, his heart bound to it. Whenever he concludes one prayer, he anticipates the following one.
This, in turn, shows the strength of his bond with Allah, for the prayer is a link between the servant and his Lord. When a person loves the prayer and feels at home with it, that means he loves the very connection that joins him to Allah. Such a person will therefore be among those whom Allah shades with His shade on the Day when there is no shade but His.
The fifth category is “a man whom a woman of rank and beauty invites,” meaning she invites him to herself for fornication; yet he is possessed of strong chastity and an unsullied reputation, and he says, “I fear Allah.” He is a man of natural desire, and the invitation this woman extends would normally compel him to comply—after all, she is the one seeking him out, and the place is secluded, unseen by any other. What restrains him, however, is his fear of Allah. He does not say, “I am afraid someone will discover us,” nor does he claim to have no inclination for intercourse; rather, he says, “I fear Allah.” For the perfection of his chastity Allah will shade him in His shade on the Day when there is no shade but His.
The sixth is “a man who gives charity and conceals it so thoroughly that his left hand does not know what his right hand spends.” He gives in charity purely for Allah’s sake, with such secrecy that even a person standing on his left would remain unaware of it. This is the height of sincerity, and Allah will shade him in His shade on the Day when there is no shade but His—unless making the charity public brings about some greater benefit. If disclosing the charity leads to a clear good, then showing it is preferable; but if no such benefit exists, secrecy is better.
The seventh is “a man who remembers Allah in seclusion and his eyes overflow with tears.” He remembers Allah alone, in a place