Sahih Muslim — Hadith 161

When asked to define the best Muslim, the Prophet gave an answer that surprised his audience: not the most devout in prayer or the most generous in charity, but the one from whom others are safe. 'Hand' represents physical harm and 'tongue' represents verbal harm — the two primary instruments of human aggression. This hadith redefines religious excellence as the absence of harm to others, making peaceful coexistence the highest criterion of Muslim identity.