As for the first man, he said that he had two elderly parents and that “I never let anyone—whether family or property—drink before them.” Here “family” refers to wife and children, while “property” includes servants and the like.

He owned a flock of sheep. Each day he would drive them out to pasture, and at the end of the day he would bring them home, milk them, and first present the milk to his two aged parents; only then would he serve the rest of his household and his dependents.

He went on: “One day I ranged far in search of grazing, and when I returned I found my parents already asleep. I wondered whether I should give the milk to my family and servants before my parents or wait beside them until dawn.” He decided to wait. When they awoke at daybreak and drank the milk, he then gave some to his family and to those under his care.

He prayed, “O Allah, if I did that seeking nothing but Your Face, then relieve us of the hardship we are facing.” In other words: “O Allah, if I performed this deed with sincerity, solely for Your sake, then deliver us from our predicament.”

This demonstrates that sincerity toward Allah is vital for the acceptance of one’s deeds; acceptance revolves to a large extent around the presence of pure intention. Allah accepted this deed as their means of intercession, and the rock shifted open—though not yet wide enough for them to leave.

The second man, for his part, sought nearness to Allah through complete chastity. He had a female cousin whom he loved with an intensity equal to the greatest passion a man can feel for a woman, and he once sought to have his way with her