—perfecting the deed itself and observing its rulings.

“If you do not see Him, He certainly sees you.” That is, if you cannot worship Allah in this state of beholding Him, then worship Him in a state of watchfulness and reverent fear, for He sees you. It is well known that worship offered out of eager pursuit is more complete than worship offered out of flight from punishment.

Thus there are two stations:

1. To worship Allah as though you see Him; this is the station of pursuit.
2. To worship Allah while knowing that He sees you; this is the station of flight.
   Both are lofty stations, but the first is more complete and superior.

Gabriel then asked, “Tell me about the Hour,” meaning the Resurrection, the time when people will be raised and repaid for their deeds. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—replied, “The one who is asked about it knows no more than the one who is asking.” By “the one who is asked” he meant himself, and by “the one who is asking” he meant Gabriel: “O Gabriel, if you do not know it, then I likewise do not know it.”

Here we have two noble messengers: one an angelic messenger and the other a human messenger—both the most perfect of all messengers—yet each of them denies having any knowledge of the Hour. That knowledge belongs to the One who will cause it to occur, Allah the Exalted, as He says in several verses:

“They ask you about the Hour: ‘When will its appointed time be?’ Say, ‘Its knowledge rests only with my Lord.’” (Surah al-A‘raf 7:187)

“People ask you about the Hour. Say, ‘Its knowledge is only with Allah.’” (Surah al-Ahzab 33:63)

Knowledge of the Hour, then, is with Allah alone. Whoever claims to possess it is a liar: how could he know it when the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—did not know it, nor did Gabriel, upon him be peace, and they are the finest of all messengers?