And there is no doubt that land yielding gold is better than land yielding silver. Likewise, where a man is known to beget people of merit, his children are better than those of a man known to beget people of lesser merit. Yet this is a contributing cause and a basis for presumption, not an inevitable outcome. Land yielding gold may cease to produce anything, or its yield may diminish. In that case, land yielding silver is more desirable than unproductive land. A large quantity of silver is also more desirable than a small quantity of gold that does not equal it in value.

For this reason, people of noble lineages (1) are presumed to possess goodness and are honoured accordingly. If the contrary is established concerning one of them (2), the reality takes precedence over the presumption. As for [what] (3) is granted by Allah, it is not determined by presumptions or evidence, but by His own knowledge of righteous deeds. He therefore needs no evidence and does not settle for presumption.

Thus, the noblest of His creatures in His sight are those most mindful of Him (4). If we suppose (5) that two people are equal in mindfulness of Allah in His sight, they are equal in rank, even if the father or son of one is better than the father or son of the other. If, however, a person’s lineage leads him to greater mindfulness of Allah, he is better because of that greater mindfulness.

This is why the wives of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—attain such distinction if they are devoutly obedient to Allah and His Messenger and do righteous deeds: not merely because of their marital relationship, but because of the completeness of their obedience. Likewise, if they were to commit a flagrantly indecent act, their punishment would be doubled because of the heinousness of such disobedience.