Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates this statement of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him: "Faith has a little more than sixty branches." (The narrator is in doubt, perhaps these are the words:) "A little more than seventy branches, the highest of which is saying 'La ilaha illallah' (There is no god but Allah), and the lowest is removing something harmful from the road, and modesty is also a branch of faith."

(Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) In this narration, the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, indicated that which is obligatory upon all addressed people in all circumstances, and he declared it the highest level of faith. Then the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, indicated that which is supererogatory (nafl) for the addressed people at all times, and he declared it the lowest level of faith. This indicates that everything that is made obligatory upon all addressed people in all circumstances, and everything that is made obligatory upon some addressed people in some circumstances, and everything that is supererogatory for the addressed people in all circumstances, all of these are parts of faith. As for the doubt regarding one of the two numbers, this doubt occurred to the narrator Suhail bin Abu Salih in this narration. Mu'ammar narrated it from Suhail in this way, and Sulaiman bin Bilal narrated it from Abdullah bin Dinar from Abu Salih as a marfu' hadith. The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Faith has seventy and some branches," and he mentioned this without any doubt. We have set aside the narration transmitted by Sulaiman bin Bilal at this place, and sufficed with the narration transmitted by Suhail bin Abu Salih. The reason for this is: so that we may clarify that the doubt in the wording of the narration is not part of the speech of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, but rather it is the speech of Suhail bin Abu Salih, as we have mentioned.