The Forty Hadiths of al-Nawawi
On the authority of Abu Malik al-Harith ibn 'Asim al-Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Purity is half of faith;
and 'al-hamdu lillah' (praise be to Allah) fills the scales;
and 'subhan Allah' (glory be to Allah) and 'al-hamdu lillah'
fill—or fill up—what is between the heavens and the earth;
and prayer is a light;
and charity is a proof;
and patience is a radiance;
and the Qur'an is an argument for you or against you.
Every person goes out in the morning,
selling their soul,
either setting it free or bringing about its ruin."
Narrated by Muslim.
This hadith demonstrates the greatness of acts of worship involving the heart and the body,
and that Islam unites the purity of the outward and the inward.
Purity is the foundation of worship,
and the remembrance of Allah weighs down the scales of good deeds,
and prayer is a light that guides its practitioner,
and charity is a proof of the sincerity of one's faith,
and the Qur'an is an argument for a person or against them.
Thus, the hadith trains the Muslim to constantly remember Allah,
and to maintain the acts of obedience that purify the soul and illuminate the heart,
and it clarifies that human happiness
is found in drawing near to Allah and performing righteous deeds.