remembers Allah inwardly when no one else is present, Allah remembers him inwardly as well; and if he remembers Allah while he is among a company of people, Allah remembers him in an assembly better than theirs. This shows the virtue of remembrance: the Exalted has pledged that whoever remembers Him privately, He will remember him privately, and whoever remembers Him in a gathering, He will remember him in a gathering better than theirs. He also said, “Give thanks to Me and do not be ungrateful” (Q 2:152). The meanings of gratitude and ingratitude have already been explained, and—God willing—the rest of what pertains to this chapter will come in the forthcoming hadiths.

1393 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that on the night the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was taken on the Night Journey, two vessels were brought to him, one filled with wine and the other with milk. He looked at them and chose the milk. Gabriel said, “Praise be to Allah who has guided you to the natural disposition; had you chosen the wine, your community would have gone astray.” Related by Muslim.

1394 – From the same Companion, from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): “Every matter of consequence that is not begun with ‘praise be to Allah’ is cut off.” A ḥasan hadith narrated by Abu Dawud and others.

1395 – Abu Musa al-Ashʿari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When the child of a servant dies, Allah the Exalted says to His angels, ‘Have you taken the soul of My servant’s child?’ They reply, ‘Yes.’ He says, ‘Have you taken the fruit of his heart?’ They say, ‘Yes.’ He says, ‘What did My servant say?’ They answer, ‘He praised You and said: innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn (Surely we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return).’ Then Allah says, ‘Build for My servant a house in Paradise and name it Bayt—’