Then We sent following their footsteps Our messengers and followed ˹them˺ with Jesus, the son of Mary, and gave him the Gospel. And We placed in the hearts of those who followed him compassion and mercy and monasticism, which they innovated; We did not prescribe it for them except ˹that they did so˺ seeking the approval of Allah. But they did not observe it with due observance. So We gave the ones who believed among them their reward, but many of them are defiantly disobedient.  

ثُمَّ قَفَّيْنَا عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِمْ بِرُسُلِنَا وَقَفَّيْنَا بِعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْإِنْجِيلَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِي قُلُوبِ الَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ رَأْفَةً وَرَحْمَةً وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَاهَا عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ فَمَا رَعَوْهَا حَقَّ رِعَايَتِهَا ۖ فَآتَيْنَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ  

˹regarding the āyah:˺ 'And We placed in the hearts of those who followed him compassion and mercy and monasticism, which they innovated; We did not prescribe it for them except [that they did so] seeking the approval of Allah. But they did not observe it with due observance. So We gave the ones who believed among them their reward, but many of them are defiantly disobedient.' (Ḥadīd 57:27), Ibn Masʿūd said that the Prophet ﷺ said to me, "O ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd!" So I said: At your service, O Messenger of Allah three time. He said, "Do you know which one of the holds of Īmān (Faith) is the strongest?" I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said, "The strongest ˹holds˺ of Īmān is wilāyah in ˹the name of˺ Allah whether in love in ˹His name˺ or and enmity in ˹His name.˺ O ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd!" So I said: At your service, O Messenger of Allah three time. He said, "Do you know which of the Believers are best?" I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said, "The best of people are the ones that have the best deeds if they have an understanding of the Religion. O ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd!" So I said: At your service, O Messenger of Allah three time. He said, "Do you know which of the people is the most knowledgable?" I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said, "The most knowledgeable of the people is the one most insightful for the truth when people differ even if he has been deficient in deed and even if he was crawling."

"The ones before us differed into seventy-two sects. The saved among them were three and the rest will be ruined: the sect that faced the ˹tyrant˺ kings and fought them for the sake of Religion of Allah and the Religion of Jesus, the son of Mary, until they were killed, and (2) and the sect that had no strength to face the ˹tyrant˺ kings nor in steadfastness in another one within their nation by they called to Allah and theto the Religion of Jesus, the son of Mary, and they poured into the mountains and observed monasticism there. They are the ones about whom Allah said, 'and monasticism, which they innovated; We did not prescribe it for them except ˹that they did so˺ seeking the approval of Allah. But they did not observe it with due observance. So We gave the ones who believed among them their reward, but many of them are defiantly disobedient.' (Ḥadīd 57:27) i.e. the Believers are the one who believe in Me and have certainty in Me and the disbelievers are the ones who reject Me and deny me."  

لِيَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ» فَقُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ثَلَاثَ مِرَارٍ قَالَ «هَلْ تَدْرِي أَيُّ عُرَى الْإِيمَانِ أَوْثَقُ؟» قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ «أَوْثَقُ الْإِيمَانِ الْوَلَايَةُ فِي اللَّهِ بِالْحَبِّ فِيهِ وَالْبُغْضِ فِيهِ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ» قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ثَلَاثَ مِرَارٍ قَالَ «هَلْ تَدْرِي أَيُّ النَّاسِ أَفْضَلُ؟» قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ «فَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ النَّاسِ أَفْضَلُهُمْ عَمَلًا إِذَا فَقِهُوا فِي دِينِهِمْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ» قُلْتُ لَبَّيْكَ وَسَعْدَيْكَ ثَلَاثَ مِرَارٍ قَالَ «هَلْ تَدْرِي أَيُّ النَّاسِ أَعْلَمُ؟» قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ فَإِنَّ أَعْلَمَ النَّاسِ أَبْصَرُهُمْ بِالْحَقِّ إِذَا اخْتَلَفَتِ النَّاسُ وَإِنْ كَانَ مُقَصِّرًا فِي الْعَمَلِ وَإِنْ كَانَ يَزْحَفُ عَلَى اسْتِهِ وَاخْتَلَفَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَنَا عَلَى اثْنَتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً نَجَا مِنْهَا ثَلَاثٌ وَهَلَكَ سَائِرُهَا فِرْقَةٌ وَازَتِ الْمُلُوكَ وَقَاتَلَتْهُمْ عَلَى دِينِ اللَّهِ وَدِينِ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ حَتَّى قُتِلُوا وَفِرْقَةٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ طَاقَةٌ بِمُوَازَاةِ الْمُلُوكِ فَأَقَامُوا بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْ قَوْمِهِمْ فَدَعَوْهُمْ إِلَى دِينِ اللَّهِ وَدِينِ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ فَقَتَلَتْهُمُ الْمُلُوكُ وَنَشَرَتْهُمْ بِالْمَنَاشِيرِ وَفِرْقَةٌ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ طَاقَةٌ بِمُوَازَاةِ الْمُلُوكِ وَلَا بِالْمُقَامِ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْ قَوْمِهِمْ فَدَعَوْهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِلَى دِينِ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ فَسَاحُوا فِي الْجِبَالِ وَتَرَهَّبُوا فِيهَا فَهُمُ الَّذِينَ قَالَ اللَّهُ {وَرَهْبَانِيَّةً ابْتَدَعُوهَا مَا كَتَبْنَاهَا عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ رِضْوَانِ اللَّهِ فَمَا رَعَوْهَا حَقَّ رِعَايَتِهَا} [الحديد 27] إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {فَاسِقُونَ} [الحديد 27] فَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِي وَصَدَّقُونِي وَالْفَاسِقُونَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِي وَجَحَدُوا بِي