On the authority of Muʿādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “I was riding behind the Prophet ﷺ on a donkey when he said to me, ‘Muʿādh, do you know what right Allah has over His servants, and what right the servants have over Allah?’ I replied, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘Allah’s right over the servants is that they worship Him and associate nothing with Him, and the servants’ right upon Allah is that He will not punish anyone who does not associate anything with Him.’ I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, should I not convey this good news to the people?’ He answered, ‘Do not tell them, lest they become complacent.’ ” This report is recorded by both al-Bukhārī and Muslim (1).

Muʿādh: Muʿādh ibn Jabal ibn ʿAmr ibn Aws ibn Kaʿb ibn ʿAmr al-Khazrajī al-Anṣārī, a distinguished Companion renowned for his mastery of religious knowledge, legal rulings, and the Quran. He fought at Badr and the subsequent battles. On the day of the Conquest the Prophet ﷺ appointed him over the people of Mecca to teach them their religion, and later dispatched him to Yemen as a judge and instructor. He died in Syria in 18 AH at the age of 38.

Riding companion (radīf): the person seated behind one on a mount.

“Do you know?” (atadrī): “Do you know?”

The right of Allah: what He deserves and has made obligatory upon His servants.

The right of the servants upon Allah: what He has bound Himself to out of grace and beneficence.

“Shall I give the people glad tidings?”: “Shall I inform them so that they may rejoice?”