In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Efada Center
for Humanistic Studies and Research
presents
Abridged Sahih al-Bukhari.
Chapter: One who leads another's riding beast during war.
On the authority of Abu Ishaq, who said:
I heard Al-Bara'—
when a man asked him:
"O Abu 'Umarah, did you flee on the day of Hunayn?"
He replied, "No, by Allah, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not turn his back.
Rather, some of his young, light-armed, and unarmored Companions went out, lacking weapons,
and encountered a body of archers from Hawazin and Bani Nasr
whose arrows hardly ever missed.
They showered them with a volley of arrows that scarcely missed their targets,
so at that point, they turned back toward the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
who was riding his white mule,
with his cousin Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib leading it for him.
So he dismounted, prayed for victory, and then proclaimed:
'I am the Prophet, no lie!
I am the son of 'Abd al-Muttalib!'"
In another narration:
"And no man was seen on that day steadfast or formidable than he."
He then drew up his Companions in battle lines.
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Abu 'Umarah" is the agnomen (kunyah) of Al-Bara', may Allah be pleased with him.
"Hunayn" is a valley near Al-Ta'if.
"Did not turn his back" (*ma walla*) means he did not flee.
"Their light-armed ones" (*akhiffa'uhum*)
refers to those who carried no heavy weaponry to weigh them down.
"Unarmored" (*hussaran*) means they had no protective armor on them.
"Whose arrows hardly ever missed"
is an idiom denoting supreme archery skill and hitting the target.
"So they showered them with a volley" (*farasahaquhum*)
means they pelted them with arrows.
"Prayed for victory" (*istansara*)
means he supplicated to Allah to grant him victory.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith, it is benefited:
The permissibility of calling out one's lineage or identity during war.
What is disliked in doing so is only when done out of boastful pride outside of battle.
It also demonstrates the bravery of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and his steadfastness in reassuring his Companions during battles.
It underscores the desirability of supplicating Allah at the onset of battle.
Chapter: The she-camel of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
On the authority of Anas, who said:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had a she-camel
named Al-'Adba',
and she was almost never outpaced.
Then a Bedouin came riding a young camel of his
and outpaced her,
which distressed the Muslims greatly,
and they said:
"Al-'Adba' has been outpaced!"
Thereupon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
"It is a right upon Allah that nothing rises in this world except that He brings it down."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Al-'Adba'"
means having a slit ear.
It is also said that
"Al-'Adba'" was simply her proper name,
and her ear was not actually slit.
"Young camel" (*qa'ud*)
is a camel that has reached the age suitable for riding.
"Distressed" (*ishtadda*)
means it was burdensome and hard upon them.
"Brings down" (*wada'a*)
means lowers or humbles.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith, it is benefited:
The permissibility of keeping camels for riding and racing them.
It encourages ascetic detachment from worldly things,
by pointing out that whatever rises in this world will inevitably be brought down.
It contains an exhortation toward humility and noble character traits.
It illustrates the intense love the Companions had for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
The hadith indicates that one should avoid grief and discontent when losing in competitions.
Chapter: Women taking part in military expeditions and fighting alongside men.
On the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
On the day of Uhud,
when the people were routed away from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Abu Talhah stood in front of the Prophet, peace be upon him,
shielding him with a large leather shield.
Abu Talhah was a skilled archer who pulled his bowstring with immense force.
In another narration:
He pulled with a powerful draw,
breaking two or three bows that day.
Whenever a man passed by carrying a quiver of arrows,
the Prophet would say:
"Spread them out,"
and in another narration:
"Scatter them for Abu Talhah."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would look up over the shield to observe the enemy forces,
and in another narration:
Abu Talhah was an excellent archer,
so whenever he shot an arrow,
the Prophet, peace be upon him, would raise his head to look,
observing where his arrow landed.
So Abu Talhah would say:
"O Prophet of Allah,
may my father and mother be sacrificed for you!
Do not look up,
lest a stray arrow from the enemy strike you.
My chest is before your chest!"
And I saw 'A'ishah, daughter of Abu Bakr, and Umm Sulaym,
with their garments tucked up
so that the anklets on their shins were visible,
carrying water-skins swiftly on their backs,
emptying them into the mouths of the wounded soldiers.
Then they would return, refill them,
and come back again to empty them into the mouths of the wounded.
Indeed, the sword fell from Abu Talhah's hand
two or three times out of sheer exhaustion.
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Shielding him" (*mujawwibun bihi 'alayhi*)
means protecting and covering him.
"Leather shield" (*juhfah*)
means a shield used for protection.
"Strong bowstring" (*shadid al-qid*)
means having a tough bowstring that requires great strength to draw and stretch.
"Quiver" (*ju'bah*)
is a container used to store arrows.
"Arrows" (*nabl*)
refers to arrows used in archery.
"Spread them" (*anshurha*)
means scatter them out.
"Looked up" (*ashrafa*)
means raised his head to look out.
"Do not look up" (*la tashrif*)
means do not expose your head to look.
"My chest is before your chest" (*nahri duna nahrik*)
means:
"I stand directly in front of you
so that if an arrow comes, it will hit my chest instead of yours."
"Umm Sulaym"
is the mother of Anas ibn Malik.
"Tucked up" (*mushammiratani*)
refers to tucking up or raising the lower garment above the shins.
Raising the garment above the shin.
"Anklets on their shins" (*khadam suqihima*)
refers to anklets worn around the lower legs.
"Carrying swiftly" (*tanqizan*)
*naqz* literally means leaping or jumping,
and here it means:
walking very swiftly and briskly.
"Water-skins" (*qirab*)
refers to leather vessels used for carrying water.
"On their backs" (*'ala mutunihima*)
means upon their backs.
"Emptying them" (*tufrighanihi*)
means pouring the water out for them to drink.
"The sword fell from Abu Talhah's hand"
occurred due to extreme drowsiness and physical fatigue.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith, it is benefited:
A demonstration of the bravery and steadfastness of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, at the Battle of Uhud.
The hadith highlights a great virtue of Abu Talhah,
as he remained firm alongside the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, shielding him with his own life.
It shows that a fighter should possess a powerful draw in archery
and strike forcefully in close hand-to-hand combat.
It illustrates the profound love the Companions had for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
It highlights the merit of assisting in military efforts,
such as preparing weapons for archers and other supporting roles.
It highlights the virtue of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
as well as that of Umm Sulaym, may Allah be pleased with her.
Chapter: Women carrying water-skins to people during military expeditions.
On the authority of Tha'labah ibn Abi Malik, who said:
'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, distributed some woven outer garments among the women of Medina,
and one fine garment remained left over.
Some of those present with him said:
"O Commander of the Faithful,
give this to the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who is with you"—
referring to Umm Kulthum, the daughter of 'Ali.
Whereupon 'Umar said:
"Umm Salit has a greater right to it."
Umm Salit was among the women of the Ansar
who had pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
'Umar said:
"She used to carry water-skins for us on the day of Uhud."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Garments" (*murut*)
A *mirt* is
a woven sheet made of wool or raw silk,
wrapped around the body as a lower garment.
"Who is with you"
means your wife.
"Has a greater right" (*ahaqq*)
means more entitled to receive the gift.
"Used to carry" (*tazfuru*)
means used to bear and transport heavy loads.
Al-Bukhari stated it means:
she used to sew them.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
From this hadith, it is benefited:
The virtue of those who preceded others in embracing Islam, rendering support, and assisting with their wealth and lives.
The permissibility of offering sound advice or opinions to the ruler,
which is the duty of ministers, scribes, and sincere advisors.
A demonstration of the virtue of the women of the Ansar,
and specifically the virtue of Umm Salit bint 'Ubayd al-Ansariyyah, may Allah be pleased with her.
In the hadith, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)
distributed suitable items among the women,
which indicates the permissibility of women going out to participate in military expeditions.
Chapter: Women Treating the Wounded on Military Expeditions.
Narrated Al-Rubayyi' bint Mu'awwidh:
"We used to participate in military expeditions alongside the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
providing water to the men and serving them,
and bringing the wounded and the slain back to Medina."
In another narration:
"And we used to treat the wounded and bring back the slain."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"And serving them"
refers to providing food and similar permissible services.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith that:
It is permissible for a woman to directly practice medicine and provide medical treatment,
while adhering to Shar'i guidelines and observed etiquettes.
The hadith also contains an indication that necessities make prohibited things permissible.
Chapter: Extracting an Arrow from the Body.
On the authority of Abu Burdah,
from Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) finished with the Battle of Hunayn,
he dispatched Abu 'Amir at the head of an army to Awts,
where he encountered Durayd ibn al-Simmah.
Durayd was killed,
and Allah routed his companions."
Abu Musa said:
"And he sent me along with Abu 'Amir.
Abu 'Amir was shot in the knee;
a man from the Jusham tribe shot him with an arrow that lodged firmly in his knee.
So I reached him and said,
'O uncle! Who shot you?'
He pointed to Abu Musa and said,
'That is my killer, the one who shot me.'
So I made for him and caught up with him.
When he saw me, he turned and fled,
so I pursued him and kept saying to him,
'Have you no shame? Will you not stand your ground?'
So he stopped,
and we exchanged two sword blows, and I killed him.
Then I said to Abu 'Amir,
'Allah has killed your attacker.'
He said, 'Now extract this arrow.'
So I pulled it out, and fluid gushed from it.
He said, 'O nephew!
Convey greetings of peace to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and say to him:
"Ask Allah to forgive me."'
Abu 'Amir appointed me as his successor over the men,
and he lingered for only a short while before he died.
I returned and entered upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) in his house,
sitting on a bed woven with palm-fiber ropes, over which was a mattress.
The weave of the bed had left marks on his back and sides.
So I informed him of our news and the news of Abu 'Amir.
He said:
'He said to you: "Ask Allah to forgive me"?'
So he called for water and performed ablution,
then raised his hands and said:
'O Allah, forgive 'Ubayd, Abu 'Amir!'
And I saw the whiteness of his armpits.
Then he said:
'O Allah, place him on the Day of Resurrection above many of Your human creation!'
I said:
'And for me too—ask Allah for forgiveness!'
So he said:
'O Allah, forgive 'Abdullah ibn Qays his sin,
and admit him on the Day of Resurrection through an honorable entrance!'
Abu Burdah said:
'One of those supplications was for Abu 'Amir,
and the other was for Abu Musa.'"
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Finished"
means concluded and departed.
"Dispatched"
means sent.
"Abu 'Amir" —
his name was 'Ubayd ibn Wahb,
though other names have also been stated.
"Awtas"
is a valley in the lands of the Hawazin tribe,
located northeast of Mecca.
"A Jushami"
means a man from the Banu Jusham tribe.
"Lodged firmly in his knee"
means it struck him and the arrow settled deeply in his knee.
"So I reached him"
means I arrived at his side.
"Turned"
means turned his back and fled.
"So I pursued"
means I followed his tracks to catch up with him.
"Will you not stand your ground?" —
the meaning is:
"Stop and do not flee!"
"So he stopped"
means he refrained from fleeing and returned to fight.
"We exchanged two sword blows"
means each of them struck the other with the sword.
"So I extracted it"
means I pulled it out from his knee.
"And fluid gushed from it"
means water or blood spurted out from it.
"He appointed me as his successor"
means he placed me in command over them.
"He lingered for a short while"
means he remained alive for only a brief period.
"On a bed woven with ropes" —
that is, made with woven cords,
which are the ropes of matting braided to form the bed structure.
"The weave of the bed"
refers to that which is woven from date-palm fronds to lie upon.
"O Allah, place him on the Day of Resurrection above many of Your human creation"
means in rank and status.
"An honorable entrance"
means immense goodness,
which is Paradise,
containing that which no eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
and no human heart has ever conceived.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith:
The virtue of jihad in the cause of Allah Almighty,
and the dispatching of military detachments for that purpose.
The hadith also contains an indication condemning cowardice and fleeing from the enemy,
while praising steadfastness.
It demonstrates the permissibility of appointing a successor over the army if its commander is wounded.
It demonstrates the permissibility of raising the hands in supplication,
with the exception of the Friday sermon supplication.
It indicates the recommendation that a person supplicates while in a state of complete ritual purity.
It highlights the virtue of Abu 'Amir and Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with both of them).
It demonstrates the permissibility of asking a righteous person to offer supplication.
The hadith illustrates that people vary in their ranks in Paradise.
Chapter: Guard Duty during Military Expeditions in the Cause of Allah.
On the authority of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said:
"The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) remained awake one night,
and when he arrived in Medina,
he said:
'If only a righteous man from my Companions would guard me tonight!'
Suddenly we heard the clanking of weapons,
so he said:
'Who is this?'
He replied:
'I am Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas;
I have come to guard you.'
Thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) slept."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Guard me"
means protect me.
"The clanking of weapons"
refers to the sound produced when iron strikes against iron.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
It is derived from the hadith:
The hadith indicates that people should guard their leader out of fear of assassination.
It shows the permissibility of praising one who volunteers for good deeds and describing him as righteous,
provided there is no fear of vanity or temptation for him.
It demonstrates that relying on Allah (tawakkul) does not contradict taking the prescribed material means.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah,
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said:
In a narration:
"...and the slave of the plush velvet garment,
and the slave of the fine embroidered cloak;
if he is given, he is pleased,
and if he is not given, he is discontented."
In a narration:
"He is not pleased.
May he be wretched and suffer a relapse,
and if he is pricked by a thorn, may he find no one to extract it!
Glad tidings of Paradise to a servant who holds the reins of his horse in the cause of Allah,
with his hair unkempt
and his feet covered in dust;
if he is assigned to guard duty, he remains steadfast in guard duty,
and if he is assigned to the rear guard, he remains steadfast in the rear guard.
If he asks for permission, he is not granted permission,
and if he intercedes, his intercession is not accepted."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"May he be wretched" means may he stumble and fall on his face.
"The fine embroidered cloak" (al-khamisah)
is a black, square garment made of silk or wool with decorative borders.
"If he is given, he is pleased"
"The fine embroidered cloak"
is a black, square garment with decorative markings.
"Suffer a relapse"
means may he fall upside down on his head.
"Is pricked by a thorn"
means a thorn pierces him.
"May he find no one to extract it"
means he is unable to remove it even with tweezers.
"Glad tidings" (Tuba)
is a name for Paradise,
and it is also said to be a tree therein.
"Holding"
means grasping firmly.
"The reins of his horse"
refers to its bridle.
"His hair unkempt"
means he has no one to comb or groom his hair.
"His feet covered in dust"
means walking barefoot or heavily covered in dust.
The rear guard,
meaning the rearmost part of the army.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
From this hadith, it is derived:
A warning against eager pursuit of worldly gain,
and a condemnation of enduring humiliation for its sake.
The hadith also contains an indication of the virtue of keeping horses ready for the cause of Allah.
It contains a clarification of the virtue of struggle and standing guard on the frontlines for the cause of Allah.
It also shows that whoever craves worldly gains and strives solely for them becomes their slave.
In the hadith is an indication of the virtue of interceding in worldly matters.
It also contains an indication of the virtue of contentment and restraint.
Chapter: The Virtue of Serving Others During a Military Expedition.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"I accompanied Jarir ibn 'Abdillah,
and he used to serve me, even though he was older than Anas."
Jarir said:
"Indeed, I saw the Ansar do something,
so I resolved never to meet any one of them without honoring him."
Commentary on the hadith:
"They do something,"
meaning their exemplary service to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and their utmost reverence for him.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
From this hadith, it is derived:
A statement of the virtue of the Ansar (may Allah be pleased with them).
It also contains an indication of the virtue of Jarir (may Allah be pleased with him) and his humility,
as well as his deep love for the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
On the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and the most shaded among us was the one who used his cloak for shade.
As for those who were fasting, they accomplished no work;
whereas those who had broken their fast dispatched the riding camels, labored hard, and managed the chores.
Thereupon the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
'Today, those who broke their fast have taken away the reward.'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"Used his cloak for shade,"
meaning that they had no tents.
"Dispatched the riding camels,"
meaning they sent the camels to the water to be watered.
"And labored hard," meaning they served others.
"And managed the chores," meaning they took charge of cooking and fetching water.
"Today, those who broke their fast have taken away the reward,"
meaning the most complete and abundant reward.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
In the hadith, the reward for serving others during an expedition is greater than the reward for fasting.
It includes a statement on the virtue of mutual cooperation during jihad and other endeavors.
It demonstrates that serving the fighters while encamped and while traveling
is a duty upon all fighters.
It shows the permissibility of a man serving his peer.
The hadith also indicates that breaking one's fast during travel for jihad is preferable.
Chapter: Seeking Assistance Through the Weak and Righteous in War.
On the authority of Mus'ab ibn Sa'd, who said:
"Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) considered himself superior to those below him in rank.
So the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
'Are you given victory and provided for except through your weak ones?'"
Commentary on the hadith:
"He also considered..."
Sa'd is Ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him).
"...that he had a superiority over those below him," meaning among the Companions.
"Are you given victory and provided for except through your weak ones?"
meaning that Allah grants victory to this Ummah through the weak and poor,
by virtue of their supplications, prayers, and sincerity.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
From this hadith, it is derived:
Encouragement toward humility and the abandonment of pride and arrogance.
The hadith is proof for those who advocate the superiority of poverty over wealth.
On the authority of Jabir ibn 'Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri related to us that he said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"A time will come upon the people when a group of men will launch a military campaign,
and it will be asked:
'Is there among you anyone who accompanied the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?'
They will say, 'Yes,'
and victory will be granted to them.
Then a time will come upon the people when a group of men will launch a military campaign,
and it will be asked:
'Is there among you anyone who accompanied the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?'
They will say, 'Yes,'
and victory will be granted to them.
Then a time will come upon the people
when a group of men will launch a military campaign,
and it will be asked: 'Is there among you anyone who accompanied
those who accompanied the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?'
They will say, 'Yes,'
and victory will be granted to them."
Commentary on the hadith:
"A group," meaning a company of people; "and victory will be granted to them," meaning they will be triumphant.
"Anyone who accompanied the Companions of the Messenger of Allah," refers to the Tabi'un.
"Anyone who accompanied those who accompanied the Companions of the Messenger of Allah," refers to the followers of the Tabi'un.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
The hadith is among the signs of prophethood.
It contains a clarification of the virtue of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the excellence of their generation.
The hadith also highlights the excellence of the early generations.
Furthermore, it contains an indication that jihad will continue until the establishment of the Hour.
Chapter: One Should Not Say, "So-and-So Is a Martyr."
On the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd al-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) met the polytheists in battle, and they fought fiercely.
When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) inclined back to his camp
and the others inclined back to their camp,
there was a man among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah
who did not leave off any straggler or isolated enemy
except that he pursued and struck him down with his sword.
The people said, "None of us has availed today as so-and-so has availed."
Whereupon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "As for him, he is indeed among the people of the Fire."
In a narration: "Whoever would be pleased to look at a man from the people of the Fire, let him look at this man."
And in another narration: They said, "Which of us is among the people of Paradise if this man is among the people of the Fire?"
A man from among the people said, "I am his constant companion."
He said: "So he went out with him; whenever he stopped, he stopped with him,
and whenever he hurried, he hurried with him."
He said: "Then the man was severely wounded,
so he sought to hasten death. He placed the hilt of his sword on the ground and its blade tip between his breasts,
then leaned his weight upon his sword and killed himself."
Thereupon the man went out to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
and said, "I bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah!"
He asked, "And why is that?"
The man replied, "Regarding the man you mentioned earlier as being among the people of the Fire, which the people found hard to fathom—
I said to them, 'I will keep track of him for you.'
So I went out in search of him.
Then he was severely wounded,
and he sought to hasten death.
He placed the hilt of his sword on the ground and its blade tip between his breasts,
then leaned his weight upon it and killed himself."
At that point, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"A man may perform the deeds of the people of Paradise according to what appears to people, yet he is among the people of the Fire;
and a man may perform the deeds of the people of the Fire according to what appears to people, yet he is among the people of Paradise."
In a narration:
"Indeed, deeds are judged only by their final outcomes."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Met in battle"—this took place during the Expedition of Khaybar.
"Inclined," meaning returned after finishing the fight.
"A man"—his name was Quzman.
"Who did not leave off any straggler or isolated enemy..."
A "straggler" refers to one who was part of the group and then strayed from them,
while an "isolated enemy" refers to one who did not mix with them in the first place.
Thus he described him as leaving nothing unharmed that he came across.
"Availed," meaning satisfied or accomplished the need.
"I am his constant companion," meaning I shall not part from him,
but will follow his affair to learn his condition and ultimate fate.
"So he went out with him," meaning he tracked him and did not separate from him.
"Its blade tip," meaning the sharp end used for striking.
"Between his breasts," meaning in his chest,
such that it struck a mortal spot.
"Leaned his weight," meaning leaned over. "And why is that?"
meaning what happened regarding him?
"Earlier," meaning a short while ago.
"The people found hard to fathom,"
meaning they deemed it grave and disapproved of the statement,
because of what they had witnessed of his intense fighting.
"I will keep track of him for you," meaning I will bring you news of him.
"So he sought to hasten death," meaning:
had he remained patient and sought reward,
he would have met Allah as a martyr.
"Deeds of the people of Paradise,"
meaning performing acts of obedience and avoiding sins.
"According to what appears," meaning outward appearances.
"Deeds of the people of the Fire,"
meaning committing sins and abandoning commanded duties.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
The hadith is among the signs of prophethood.
It shows that witnessing divine signs
brings additional reassurance to the hearts of the believers.
Do you not see that when the man saw that he killed himself,
he said upon informing the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
"I bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah"?
It shows that judgment depends on final outcomes and intentions.
It demonstrates that Allah may support His religion even through a wicked man.
It shows that one must not testify for anyone specifically as being in Paradise or the Fire,
except those explicitly declared so by the sacred texts.
The hadith is decisive proof against the Qadariyyah regarding their claim
that man possesses ultimate control over himself and independently chooses good and evil for himself.
It contains evidence permitting hyperbole and emphasis in speech,
and using general terms to denote the majority or prevailing state.
It clarifies the virtue of patience during decrees of hardship and bodily pain.
The hadith establishes the prohibition of suicide
and the killing of an inviolable soul except by right.
It shows the danger of being deceived by attractive outward appearances,
emphasizing instead the care of the inner state.
It shows that the hearts of the righteous are attached to final outcomes,
asking: "How will our lives be sealed?"
While the hearts of those brought near are attached to divine precedence,
asking: "What has already been decreed for us?"
The hadith contains an indication that an evil end
stems from an underlying hidden flaw in the servant
that is unseen by people.