The people said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Who is the most honorable amongst the people (in Allah's Sight)?" He said, "The most righteous amongst them." They said, "We do not ask you, about this. " He said, "Then Joseph, Allah's Prophet, the son of Allah's Prophet, The son of Allah's Prophet the son of Allah's Khalil (i.e. Abraham)." They said, "We do not want to ask about this," He said' "Then you want to ask about the descent of the Arabs. Those who were the best in the pre-lslamic period of ignorance will be the best in Islam provided they comprehend the religious knowledge."

It was said to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as to who was the most worthy of respect amongst people. He said: The most God-conscious amongst you They said: It is not this that we are asking about, whereupon he said: Then he is Yusuf, the Apostle of Aliah and the son of Allah's Apostle, Ya'qub, who was also the son of Allah's Apostle, the friend of Allah (Ibrahim) They said: This is not what we are asking you. He said: You mean the tribes of Arabia? Those who are good in pre-Islamic days are good in Islam (after embracing Islam) when they get an understanding of it.

Marwan said to his gatekeeper, "Go to Ibn `Abbas, O Rafi`, and say, 'If everybody who rejoices in what he has done, and likes to be praised for what he has not done, will be punished, then all of us will be punished." Ibn `Abbas said, "What connection have you with this case? It was only that the Prophet (ﷺ) called the Jews and asked them about something, and they hid the truth and told him something else, and showed him that they deserved praise for the favor of telling him the answer to his question, and they became happy with what they had concealed. Then Ibn `Abbas recited:-- "(And remember) when Allah took a Covenant from those who were given the Scripture..and those who rejoice in what they have done and love to be praised for what they have not done.' " (3.187-188) Humaid bin `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf narrated that Marwan had told him (the above narration).

You would tread the same path as was trodden by those before you inch by inch and step by step so much so that if they had entered into the hole of the lizard, you would follow them in this also. We said: Allah's Messenger, do you mean Jews and Christians (by your words)" those before you"? He said: Who else (than those two religious groups)?

"A Jew passed by the Prophet (ﷺ), so the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'O you Jew! Narrate something to us.' So he said: 'What shall you say O Abul-Qasim, when Allah places the heavens upon this, the earths upon this, the water upon this, the mountains upon this, and the rest of creation upon this?'" - Muhammad bin As-Salt, Abu Ja'far (one of the narrators) indicated first with his little finger, then followed one by one until he reached his index finger - "So Allah, the Mighty and Sublime revealed: They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him (39:67)."