324 - أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عُمَرَ التُّجِيبِيُّ، ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ جَامِعٍ، ثنا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ، ثنا حَجَّاجٌ، ثنا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «أَرْبَعَةٌ يُبْغِضُهُمُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى الْبَيَّاعُ الْحَلَّافُ، وَالْفَقِيرُ الْمُخْتَالُ، وَالشَّيْخُ الزَّانِي، وَالْإِمَامُ الْجَائِرُ»
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that indeed the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "There are four types of people whom Allah dislikes: the one who sells goods by swearing oaths, the arrogant poor person, the old adulterer, and the unjust ruler."
Brief Explanation
Explanation:
In this hadith, there is mention of those four wretched individuals whom Allah, the Exalted, detests, and this is a severe warning for them that Allah, the Creator and Master, instead of loving them, holds hatred and aversion towards them.
① The one who sells his goods by taking oaths... Whoever, while selling his goods, frequently swears oaths—whether they are true or false—Allah, the Exalted, detests him. He should have placed his trust in Allah, the Exalted, because if the sale of the goods is written in his destiny, then the customer will certainly buy it, and if it is not written to be sold, then even if he swears a thousand oaths, the customer will not buy it. Therefore, the deficiency in faith in destiny and the lack of trust in Allah, the Exalted, has made him among those disliked by Allah, the Exalted. Islam has prohibited swearing oaths in business transactions. False oaths are never permissible in any case, as they are among the major sins. However, if occasionally, for some reason, one has to swear a true oath, the scholars consider it permissible, but it should not become a habit. See also hadith number 258.
② The arrogant poor person... This is the second person whom Allah, the Exalted, detests and holds aversion towards. He is poor and destitute, dependent on others and in need, and on top of that, he displays arrogance and shows false superiority. Allah, the Exalted, does not like this at all. Allah, the Exalted, does not even like it when a wealthy and affluent person is arrogant, let alone a poor and needy person who is deprived of all means of pride and superiority. It is as if this person, through his actions, is proving that he is heedless of the commands of Allah and the fear of Allah. Therefore, in the sight of Allah, his arrogance is more reprehensible than that of a wealthy person.
③ The old adulterer... This is the third person whom Allah, the Exalted, detests. For an old person to commit adultery (zina) means that his temperament is extremely corrupted and his heart is completely devoid of the fear of Allah, the Exalted. The scholars have written that the causes and motives for adultery are generally youth, the heat of desire, lack of knowledge, dominance of lust, weakness of intellect, and young age. All these causes and motives disappear in old age. With a long life and the acquisition of many experiences, a person's intellect becomes complete, his sexual drive and desire for women decrease, and for whatever little desire remains, he has lawful means to fulfill it. Therefore, if he still commits adultery, it only means that he is obstinate and has no trace of the fear of Allah within him. In a hadith, it is stated: "There are three people with whom, on the Day of Resurrection, Allah, the Exalted, will neither speak nor purify them (from their sins), and for them is a painful punishment: the old adulterer, the lying ruler, and the arrogant poor person." [مسلم : 107]
④ The unjust ruler... This is the fourth person whom Allah, the Exalted, detests. Allah, the Exalted, granted him authority and power so that he would establish justice and fairness among His servants on His earth, but his conduct was the opposite. He misused his authority, inflicted oppression and cruelty upon Allah's servants, and became so intoxicated with power that he even forgot the True Bestower of blessings, the King of kings, that is, Allah, the Exalted. Therefore, he became detestable and hated in the sight of Allah. Whereas, if he had, out of fear of Allah, adhered to justice and fairness, he would have become a friend (wali) of Allah, and Allah, the Exalted, would have granted him the shade of His Throne on the Day of Resurrection, as mentioned in the hadith. [بخاري : 660]