Azami 32

Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Faith (9), and Muslim narrated it in the Book of Faith (35), both from the hadith of Abu Amir Aqadi, who said, Sulayman bin Bilal narrated to us, from Abdullah bin Dinar, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurairah, and he related it. The wording given is Bukhari's, while Muslim's wording is, "seventy-odd branches." Muslim narrated it also from the hadith of Suhayl, from Abdullah bin Dinar, and it came in this version, "Faith has seventy-odd, or sixty-odd branches, the best of which is saying there is no god but Allah, and the least of which is removing something harmful from the road, and modesty is a branch of faith." This is how Suhayl bin Abu Salih narrated it, with uncertainty, but some of the authors of the Sunan works transmitted it through his route saying, "seventy-odd," without any uncertainty.This version is given preference, first because the narrator did not hesitate over it, and second because the phrase "seventy-odd" is an addition from a trustworthy narrator, and such an addition is accepted.Khattabi, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "The meaning of his statement, 'modesty is a branch of faith,' is that modesty restrains its possessor from acts of disobedience, and thus it becomes part of faith, since faith consists of carrying out what Allah has commanded and refraining from what He has forbidden." End of quote.