take a single step without being raised by it a degree. This meaning is clarified in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah ﵁ in which the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever performs wuduʾ (ablution) and perfects it, then leaves his house for the mosque and is driven out by nothing but the prayer, does not take a single step except that Allah records for him thereby a degree and removes from him a sin.” Thus two things are written for him: first, he is elevated one degree; second, one sin is erased. This applies when he performs ablution in his house and perfects it—whether his steps are few or many—for with every step two benefits are recorded: he rises by a degree and a sin is wiped away.

This hadith further shows that when something is conveyed to a person about someone else, he must verify it before passing judgment. Accordingly, the Prophet ﷺ questioned the clan of Banū Salamah before saying anything to them: “I have been informed that you intend such-and-such.” They replied, “Yes.” From this we learn that a person should confirm what he hears about others before acting on it, so that he remains composed, deliberate, and judicious. Believing everything one is told deprives him of much good and exposes him to harm; rather, he must ascertain the truth.

The hadith also points to the many avenues of righteousness, among them walking to the mosques. As noted earlier, this is one of the deeds through which Allah raises ranks and erases sins, for the abundance of footsteps to the mosques is a cause for the forgiveness of sins and the expiation of