Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Nu’man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The example of the person who establishes the limits set by Allah and the one who falls into them and neglects them is like a group of people who boarded a ship. They drew lots for (the upper and lower parts of) the ship; some of them sat on the upper deck and some on the lower deck. When the people of the lower deck needed water, they would go up and pass by those above, which the upper deck people disliked. (In one narration it is stated: When the people of the lower deck climbed up to get water, water would spill on the people above, so the people of the upper deck said: We will not let you come up; you climb up and cause us trouble.) The lower deck people thought: If we make a hole in our part below and get water from there, then the people above will not be troubled. (And in one narration: So that we do not have to pass by the people above and cause them trouble.) (Acting on this decision) one man took an axe and started digging in the lower part of the ship. The people above came to him and said: What are you doing? He said: You feel troubled, and we need water. If the people above leave the people below and their intention unchecked, then all of them will be destroyed; but if they restrain them, they will all be saved, and they will save the others as well.”