This demonstrates that true gratitude is manifested by obeying Allah: every time a person increases in obedience to his Lord, he has thereby increased in gratitude to Allah. Gratitude is not confined to saying with the tongue, “I thank Allah, I praise Allah.” That is verbal gratitude, whereas the point here is practical gratitude, which is shown by carrying out Allah’s commands as far as one is able.

It likewise shows that the Prophet ﷺ had all his past and future sins forgiven; everything that preceded was forgiven and everything that might come afterward was forgiven. He ﷺ left this world—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—completely free of sin, for he had been pardoned.

Allah may also select certain people and forgive their sins on account of righteous deeds they have performed, such as the warriors of Badr. They were three hundred and a few men, among them Ḥāṭib ibn Abī Baltaʿah. The Prophet ﷺ said to ʿUmar in the famous incident, “Do you not know that Allah looked upon the people of Badr and said, ‘Do whatever you wish, for I have forgiven you’?” This is a special distinction of the people of Badr: Allah forgave them whatever sins they might commit.

Even so, Ḥāṭib committed a serious offense. When the Messenger ﷺ resolved to march against Quraysh after they had broken the treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah, Ḥāṭib sent a written letter to the Meccans informing them that the Messenger ﷺ was coming. Allah informed the Prophet ﷺ of this by revelation, so he dispatched ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and another man in pursuit of the woman carrying the letter. They caught up with her at Rawḍat Khākh—a well-known meadow on the road to Mecca—and when they overtook her