/ Faith has over seventy branches - or over sixty branches - the most excellent of which is the declaration that 'lā ilāha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah)', and the lowest of which is the removal of what is harmful from the way

Faith has over seventy branches - or over sixty branches - the most excellent of which is the declaration that 'lā ilāha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah)', and the lowest of which is the removal of what is harmful from the way

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith has over seventy branches - or over sixty branches - the most excellent of which is the declaration that 'lā ilāha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah)', and the lowest of which is the removal of what is harmful from the way; and modesty is a branch of faith."
Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that faith consists of many branches and elements comprising various deeds, beliefs, and words. And he states that the best and most sublime among the elements of faith is to say "there is no god but Allah" while knowing its meaning and acting according to it - that Allah is the One true God Who is worthy of worship, alone, and apart from all else. And that the lowest act of faith is to remove any object harmful to people from their ways. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that modesty is one of the elements of faith, and it is a character trait that prompts one to do what is good and deters him from doing what is evil.

Hadeeth benefits

  1. Faith comprises various levels, some of which are higher than others.
  2. Faith consists of words, deeds, and beliefs.
  3. Modesty towards Allah entails that He should not see you where He prohibited you from, or miss you where He commanded you to be.
  4. Mention of the number does not mean faith is limited to these, but it indicates that the acts of faith are many. In fact, the Arabs may specify a number for something without intending to negate other than that.