Whoever venerates the symbols of Allah—holding them in great esteem within his heart and outwardly according them the reverence they deserve—has displayed piety of the heart; it is a sign that his intention is sound and that his heart is God-fearing. When the heart is pious, the limbs follow suit, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Verily, there is a morsel of flesh in the body; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart.”

Therefore, make a point of honoring the symbols of Allah, for such veneration nurtures your heart’s piety and also brings you goodness in the sight of Allah, exalted is He: “That is so; and whoever reveres the sacred limits of Allah, that is better for him with his Lord.”

The author next cites the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When the prayer has been announced with the iqamah, do not come to it running.” In other words, when you hear the iqamah while you are outside the mosque—showing that the iqamah is audible beyond the mosque walls, as is plainly the case—approach without haste. In another report Bilal said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “Do not precede me in saying āmeen,” which indicates that he pronounced the iqamah from a place audible to the people. Thus the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed: “Come to it walking and maintain tranquillity”—walk at a normal pace and keep your composure.