Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
Muslims are like a single body for one another.
They may be mutually supportive, but they cannot cause harm to each other.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has defined a Muslim as one from whose hand and tongue other Muslims are safe.
In this hadith as well, a mannerly conduct is taught: that Muslims should not cause harm to each other in any way.

Hadith Commentary:
From this hadith, it becomes clear that following the hadith and abandoning one’s own opinion and analogy in the face of hadith is a requirement of faith, and this alone is the straight path (sirat al-mustaqim). May Allah keep us firm and steadfast upon it, and grant us death upon this path of hadith.
Ameen.

Hafiz Sahib says:
And in the hadith is the permissibility of abandoning (hajr) those who oppose the Sunnah and refraining from speaking to them. This does not fall under the prohibition of abandoning someone for more than three days, for that relates to one who is abandoned for personal reasons.

That is, from this it is proven permissible to refrain from greeting and speaking with those who oppose the Sunnah, and this action will not be contrary to the hadith in which abandoning speech for more than three days is prohibited.
This is because that (prohibition) is for personal reasons, while this (abandonment) is for the love of the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), for whom my soul is sacrificed. This alone is the straight path by which one meets Allah, as Allamah Tahtawi has explained in detail.

If you say:
What is your evidence that you are upon the straight path, when every one of these sects claims to be upon it?
I say:
This is not established by mere claim or by making one’s own conjecture a proof, but rather it is established by acquiring transmitted knowledge from the expert scholars of Ahl al-Hadith, those elders who compiled the authentic hadiths of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) regarding his affairs, conditions, statements, movements, stillness, and the conditions of his companions and those who followed them with excellence—such as Imam al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim, and others among the trustworthy and well-known scholars, whose authenticity of the hadiths they narrated in their books regarding the matters of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and his companions (radi Allahu anhum) is agreed upon by the scholars of the East and the West.
Then, after this transmission, it will be seen who is the one who firmly holds to their way, follows them completely, and walks upon their path in all major and minor matters, both general and specific.

Now, whichever group is upon this way (that is, acting upon the hadiths of the Messenger by the way of the Companions, without restriction to any particular madhhab),
it will be judged that this group alone is upon the straight path. This is the very principle that distinguishes between truth and falsehood, and this is the very criterion that differentiates between those who are upon the straight path and those who are to its right and left.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
From this hadith, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established the permissibility of throwing stones with a slingshot (ghalilah), and from this, he has declared hunting with it to be impermissible, because the slingshot kills the prey by its weight and force; it does not tear the flesh.

(2)
Is hunting with the modern invention of the gun lawful (halal) or unlawful (haram)? There is a difference of opinion among the scholars on this matter.
Most scholars consider hunting done with a gun to be unlawful (haram), but according to our inclination, hunting with a gun is lawful (halal), because its bullet does not strike the body like a stick or staff, but rather, like an arrow or any sharp-edged instrument, it pierces through the body. And in this cartridge, there are small pieces of iron which pierce through the body.
The narrations in which there is prohibition or dislike regarding hunting with a gun, the intent is not the bullet of the present-day gun, but rather the bullet made of clay, which is called ghalilah (slingshot).
The animal killed by this is under the ruling of mawqudhah (killed by a violent blow), because it strikes the body and kills the animal by a severe blow.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
يَخْذِفُ:
To throw a pebble by placing it between two fingers;
this is a pastime of children.
(2)
لَا يُنْكَأُ بِهِ:
To wound,
to cause pain,
meaning that by means of this, one cannot harm an enemy who is at a distance,
though it may affect someone nearby.
(3)
يَكْسِرُ السِّنَّ:
It breaks the tooth.
(4)
يَفْقَأُ الْعَيْنَ:
It puts out the eye,
therefore, instead of any benefit, it causes harm.

Benefits and Issues:
According to Allamah Nawawi, it is established from the action of Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa radi Allahu anhu that it is permissible to sever relations with the people of innovation (ahl al-bid‘ah), the people of immorality (ahl al-fisq), and those who abandon the Sunnah, and that the prohibition of severing ties for more than three days applies to those who do so for their own selves or for some worldly reason.

Benefits and Issues:
➊ Every Muslim should always avoid purposeless activities. In particular, it is observed that children, without any purpose, sit and throw pebbles and stones; this is a futile and harmful act. Young children should be continuously taught in a good manner so that their upbringing is upon righteous deeds.

➋ Hunting is a noble purpose, and similarly, targeting the disbelievers in the battlefield of jihad is also a virtuous act.

➌ If this act is to be done for the practice of marksmanship, then it should be in a place where there is no harm to anyone.

➍ If, in this mischief, someone who is sane and mature causes another’s eye to be lost or tooth to be broken, then blood money (diyah) will be obligatory.

The meaning is that the narrator Khams is in doubt whether the words are "nahā ‘anil-khadhf" (he forbade al-khadhf) or "yakrahu al-khadhf" (he disliked al-khadhf); however, this doubt will not affect the authenticity of the narration.

Benefits and Issues:

➊
The meaning of "khadhf" is to throw pebbles with a slingshot or to hold them between the fingers and fling them far.

➋
One should avoid such amusements that may unintentionally cause harm to someone.

➌
It is better to practice with those things that can be used in jihad; however, even in such practice, it is necessary to take care that no one is harmed.

➍
When stating a legal issue (mas'alah), it is better to mention the evidence along with it. This gives the questioner satisfaction and encourages the one acting upon it to do so.

➎
It is permissible to cut off conversation with someone in order to forbid them from evil, provided there is no risk of negative consequences from this.

➏
From this, the importance of the Prophetic hadith becomes clear: the Companion rebuked and boycotted his relative for not acting upon the hadith.

➐
When stating a command or prohibition, it is also beneficial to mention its wisdom.

(1)
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has prohibited every wrong and harmful act, even if it appears insignificant outwardly, because sometimes an act may seem trivial, but its outcome is not trivial.

(2)
Due to the prevalence of a sin, we sometimes consider it insignificant, whereas with Allah it is a major sin; therefore, one should avoid even minor (saghirah) sins.

(3)
Every act in which there is neither religious nor worldly benefit, and there is a risk of harm, should be avoided.

(4)
It is permissible to abandon meeting someone in order to warn the perpetrator of a sin and to express aversion to his sin, so that he may repent and reform himself.

(5)
It is necessary to avoid every act from which there is a risk of harm to any Muslim.

Benefit:
The meaning is that play should have a purpose; throwing pebbles without reason is a futile act through which someone’s eye or tooth could be lost. In this hadith, there is guidance for those who play cricket in neighborhood streets nowadays, that they should refrain from causing such harm.