reward with pure justice or with gracious bounty. When the dispute is between people themselves, however, He will judge only with justice: every claimant will receive his exact due, neither diminished nor increased.

The very first of Allah’s rights for which a servant will be taken to task is the prayer. If he has performed it well, he will have triumphed and succeeded; but if he has neglected it, then everything else will be neglected even more. Whoever abandons the prayer can hardly be expected to enjoin what is right or forbid what is wrong, for Allah the Exalted has said: “Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book, and establish the prayer; indeed, the prayer restrains from shameful and blameworthy deeds” (Q 29:45).

As for the mutual rights of the servants, the first matter to be decided among them is blood—killing—followed by property and reputation. Killing may at times be lawful and at times unlawful; what is meant here is unlawful killing, and this is the very first issue to be adjudicated among people on the Day of Resurrection.

This ḥadith therefore affirms that judgement on the Day of Resurrection is real, and that every victim will inevitably receive satisfaction. Yet another question arises: someone wronged another through backbiting, slander, or the like, then repented to Allah and felt remorse. He goes to the injured party and says, “Please pardon me; I have sinned. I now seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to Him—so forgive me,” but the injured party refuses. In such a case we say: if Allah knows that the offender’s repentance is sincere, then Allah Most High will assume, on the offender’s behalf, the right that the other person refused to waive. The same principle applies to money: suppose you had a dispute with someone and denied him his property