And when the jewels are equal in that they are creations of Allah, and they are honored by their effects, the human being is honored or degraded by his condition from his words and actions. He indicated that what is considered is only what they are upon now of lofty states and wondrous attributes. Therefore, he said, negating his knowledge of what they said in the form of a questioning denial: 'And what' means: and what is my knowledge of what they were doing before they followed me? That is, what is it to me to search for that? My concern is only their outward appearance now, and it is the best outward appearance. They are the most honorable, even if they are the poorest of people and the lowest in lineage. For indeed, wealth is the wealth of religion, and lineage is the lineage of piety.