Ibn Majah

Commentary:
Benefits and Issues:
This hadith has already been mentioned earlier.
For the benefits, please refer to (Hadith: 2207).

Hadith Commentary:

The three sins mentioned here are extremely reprehensible from a moral standpoint as well, and no matter how much they are condemned, it is insufficient.

Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has brought this hadith here because of the third person mentioned.

To sell goods by lying in trade is always a sin, but to swear falsely after ‘Asr (the afternoon prayer) and sell goods is an even worse sin, for even at this last part of the day, he could not refrain from lying.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The three sins mentioned in this hadith are extremely lowly and despicable from a moral standpoint. No matter how much they are condemned, it is not enough. Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has brought this hadith here because of the third person mentioned.
(2)
To lie in buying and selling, and to swear a false oath in order to sell goods, is always a sin. However, to swear such a false oath after ‘Asr is an even worse sin, because at that time the angels of the day and night are present, and also at that time people’s deeds are raised up towards the heavens. To lie or swear a false oath at such a time is a grave sin, for in this last and blessed part of the day, he could not refrain from lying.

➊ «فَضْلُ مَاءٍ»: Excess, leftover water.
➋ «سِلعْتَهُ»: One’s belongings, goods, merchandise.

Hadith Commentary:
The three accursed individuals mentioned in the hadith are so blameworthy that no amount of condemnation suffices.

➊ First, the one who withholds surplus water, especially depriving a thirsty traveler.
He is a criminal against humanity, a rebel against good character, an enemy of compassion; his heart is harder than stone.
Upon seeing a thirsty traveler, one’s heart should soften.
His life is in danger.
For his survival, he should be given water to drink, not sent away thirsty.

➋ Second, the person who infiltrates an Islamic organization solely for personal gain and is not willing to tolerate even the slightest thing contrary to his interests.
This is the worst kind of person, who can be considered an enemy of communal unity, and no amount of condemnation for such a traitor is sufficient.
In this era, such people are frequently in positions of authority in Islamic schools and other organizations,
who cling to them solely for personal benefit.
If their prestige is even slightly harmed at any time, they become the worst enemies of that very school or organization and are ready to establish their own separate “mosque of one and a half bricks.”
Although the hadith mentions pledging allegiance to the ruler of Islam, every Islamic organization can be understood in this context.
Islamic history contains many such traitors who, out of concern for their personal loss, turned the Islamic government into a hotbed of conspiracies and ultimately brought about its downfall.

➌ Third, the merchant who uses every weapon of deceit and falsehood to sell his goods, and by repeatedly lying and exaggerating, manages to sell his merchandise.
In short, upon careful consideration, all three of these criminals are extremely deserving of condemnation, and whatever has been stated about them in this hadith is, in its place, entirely true and correct.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The hadith mentions swearing an oath after the Asr prayer because, at that time, people are generally more engaged in trade; otherwise, this ruling is general.
At any time, swearing a false oath incurs the aforementioned warning.
(2)
A person who withholds surplus water from thirsty travelers is an enemy of humanity and a rebel against good character.
Such a person's heart is harder than stone.
Upon seeing a thirsty traveler, one's heart should soften, for his life is in danger; he should be given water, not deprived and left to struggle between life and death, because on a journey it is often not possible to find water from another source.
It should be clear that if someone possesses only as much water as he needs, then he has more right to it than the traveler.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
God forbid, what a severe hardness and harshness of heart this is.
The elders, on the other hand, acted in such a way that even at the time of death, they did not drink water themselves but sent it to their other Muslim brother. For example, in the Battle of Yarmouk, in which many Companions participated, one person narrates: I went to my cousin who was lying wounded, carrying water. Meanwhile, another wounded Muslim was lying nearby and asked for water. My cousin gestured to give it to him first.
When I went to give it to him, yet another wounded person asked for water. He gestured to take it to him. But by the time I reached him with the water, he had already surrendered his soul.
When I returned, the person for whom my cousin had told me to give water had also passed away. When I went further, I saw that my cousin too had been martyred (radi Allahu anhum).
In the narration of Muslim, there are three more types of people: one is an old adulterer, the second is a lying king, and the third is an arrogant poor man.
In another narration, it is mentioned: one who lets his lower garment hang below the ankles, the second who reminds others of his charity, and the third who sells goods by swearing a false oath.
In one narration, it is mentioned: one who seizes someone’s wealth by swearing an oath.

Hadith Commentary:
➊
To pledge allegiance (bay‘ah) to the leader of the time for the elevation of Islam means that he will not withhold any kind of sacrifice for the sake of his religion. But the person who pledges allegiance to the leader in order to attain worldly gain is, in effect, betraying the leader, and whoever betrays the leader is guilty of betraying the subjects, because this leads to discord and corruption. On this basis, he uses religion for his worldly interests.
(Fath al-Bari: 13/251)

➋
According to one narration, there are three more people who are deserving of this warning: an old adulterer, a lying king, and a proud poor man.
(Sahih Muslim, Al-Iman, Hadith: 296 (107))

In another narration, it is stated that the one who lets his garment hang below the ankles, the one who reminds others of his charity, and the one who sells his goods by swearing a false oath are also deserving of this punishment.
(Sahih Muslim, Al-Iman, Hadith: 293 (106))

In some narrations, it is mentioned that the one who, after ‘Asr (afternoon), swears a false oath to unlawfully seize someone’s wealth will also receive this punishment.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Al-‘Idayn, Hadith: 2369)

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
Fadl:
Something in excess of necessity and need.
(2)
Falah:
Desert,
wilderness.
(3)
Imam:
Ruler,
leader (amir).

Benefits and Issues:
Water is a basic necessity upon which human life depends.
To deprive a needy and destitute person of it, without having fulfilled one’s own need and necessity, is to push him towards death,
therefore, this is a grave crime.
Those people who,
by adulterating food and medicines, play with people’s lives,
should reflect upon this.
Lying is a serious crime, and the time of ‘Asr is a time of goodness and blessing;
to sell goods by lying at such a time is a combination of three crimes:
(1)
Lying.
(2)
Deceiving the customer.
(3)
And violating the sanctity and sacredness of the time. Then, to lie by swearing by Allah,
as if there is no sense of Allah’s greatness and status.
Today, this crime is not even considered a crime, and various tricks and excuses are invented to deceive one’s own soul regarding it.
The imam or amir, by virtue of his position and rank, is deserving of obedience,
but to make obedience conditional upon one’s own interests is to blackmail him, and to encourage him to play and indulge for his own benefit. Today, this behavior is widespread,
therefore, no government runs in the correct manner and is afflicted with failure.

Explanation:
1:
The other two men who are not mentioned in this hadith are as follows:
One is the man who, while possessing water in excess of his needs in a vast desert, prevents a traveler from taking water;
The second is the person who, after the Asr prayer, sells goods to someone and swears by Allah that he acquired the item for such-and-such a price, and then the buyer believes his statement, even though he was being dishonest.

Benefits and Issues:
➊
To withhold the remaining water from travelers is extreme cruelty and lack of compassion.

➋
The time from Asr to Maghrib is a beloved time for nearness to Allah.
During this time, taking a false oath—which is a major sin—
the evil becomes even greater.

➌
It is obligatory to always fulfill promises to the Imam of the Muslims in matters of truth and justice,
whether or not one receives anything in return from him.
In the present era, it has become common among political, non-political, and even some religious people to change allegiances; now, the basis of political affiliation is neither that the objective and ideology are the same, nor that firm covenants and agreements have been made—
the abandonment of which is an evil.
Now, people present themselves in the marketplace solely with their own interests in view.

➍
There is a narration in the Sahihayn that through a false oath, wealth may indeed be sold,
but its blessing is removed.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Buyu', Hadith: 2087 and Sahih Muslim, al-Musaqat, Hadith: 1606)

(1) In this blessed hadith, there is the severest warning regarding the person who, merely for personal interest, opposes the ruler of the time, breaks the pledge of allegiance made to him, and rebels against him, etc. Why is there such a severe warning for the one guilty of this crime? It is because opposing the leader of the time will shatter the unity of the Muslims, and evil, corruption, and oppression will spread within the Ummah. It should be remembered that fulfilling a covenant includes the protection of honor and chastity, wealth, and life—all things.

(2) Every action by which nearness to Allah is sought, if the intention behind it is not to attain the pleasure of Allah, but rather only to obtain worldly benefit, then that action becomes a calamity for the person and a cause of destruction and ruin in his Hereafter. A‘adhana Allahu minhu (May Allah protect us from it).

(3) “Three persons”: In the hadith, three persons are mentioned; in hadith number: 4463, only one of them is mentioned. In this way, the total becomes five persons. Thus, the word “three” is not for restriction, but rather for recollection. In any case, “three” does not negate the possibility of more. In many places in the ahadith, this is the case. This should not be considered a contradiction; rather, the ones that were in your mind or whom you deemed appropriate for the occasion, you mentioned. This does not negate the rest.

(4) “Prevents water”: Water is an extremely essential thing for the preservation of life. Its absence can even result in death, and moreover, Allah Ta‘ala has provided it free of charge. Therefore, there is no justification for withholding surplus water; however, if it is not in excess of one’s own need, it may be withheld, but not from drinking—except if it is kept for one’s own drinking.

(5) “After ‘Asr”: It is possible that this restriction is coincidental, because after ‘Asr, buying and selling increases, and it is also possible that this restriction was mentioned deliberately, because ‘Asr is the last part of the day, which reminds a person of death and the Day of Judgment. In this respect, it is a time for repentance and seeking forgiveness. At such a time, to swear false oaths is an extremely reprehensible act.

Benefits and Issues:
➊
By “not speaking” and “not looking,” what is meant is not speaking with mercy and not looking with mercy; otherwise, Allah, the Exalted, will certainly take account from every good and bad person, and nothing can be hidden from His sight.
The Prophetic statement (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is:
“Each one of you will have his Lord speak to him (directly), there will be no interpreter between him and his Lord...” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tawhid, Chapter: Allah the Exalted will speak to the prophets and others on the Day of Resurrection, Hadith: 7512; and Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Zakat, Chapter: Encouragement to give charity even if it is half a date..., Hadith: 1016)

➋
By “not purifying,” what is meant is not forgiving the sin.

➌
To offer water to the thirsty is a great virtue, especially where water is not easily available; in such places, giving water to another brings immense reward.

➍
A spring of water in the desert is a favor from Allah; for someone to seize it and sit upon it, preventing those in need from taking water, is extreme small-mindedness.

➎
Swearing a false oath is a sin.
To swear a false oath after ‘Asr is an even greater sin.
And then, this grave sin is committed for the sake of a few expected coins, because it is not even certain that the customer will be influenced by his false oath and actually buy from him.
In such a case, a false oath is an extremely vile act, and thus its punishment is also severe.

➏
Pledging allegiance (bay‘ah) to the Muslim caliph is for the protection and advancement of the Islamic state, and in this, there is both religious and worldly benefit for all Muslims.
To approach such a great act with worldly motives, and to break the pledge and rebel if worldly wealth is not obtained, is proof that such a person has no concern for the Hereafter, and for his personal worldly interest, he can endanger the collective interest of the Muslims.
The evil of such an act needs no explanation.

➐
Major sins less than disbelief (kufr) and polytheism (shirk) can also be so severe that, because of them, one may have to endure long and intense punishment in Hell; however, eternal punishment is only for the disbeliever and the one who commits major shirk (shirk akbar).

Takhrij:
«أخرجه البخاري، الأحكام، باب من بايع رجلاً لا يبايعه إلا للدنيا، حديث:7212، ومسلم، الإيمان، باب بيان غلظ تحريم إسبال الإزار والمن بالعطية...، حديث:108.»©Explanation:
➊ According to this hadith, withholding water in excess of one’s own need and not allowing those in need to take it, selling goods after ‘Asr by swearing false oaths, and supporting the ruler of the time for worldly motives are actions that incur the severe displeasure of the Lord of the worlds and become a cause for being deprived of Allah’s mercy.
➋ This hadith also shows that just as the punishment for a sin is multiplied due to the virtue of a particular place, likewise, the punishment is also increased due to the virtue of a particular time.