Sunan Sa'id

Raja bin Hayat, may Allah have mercy on him, says: I was in the mosque of Mina when a storyteller was narrating a story, so Raja bin Hayat said to me: Preserve these words. Then the storyteller began to say: There are three traits, whoever acts upon them, they will return upon him; deceit, oppression, and breaking a covenant. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّمَا بَغْيُكُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِكُمْ﴾ meaning: O people! Your oppression is only against yourselves, and He said: ﴿وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِ﴾ meaning: And evil plotting does not encompass except its own people, and He said: ﴿فَمَنْ نَكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنْكُثُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ﴾ meaning: So whoever breaks [his covenant], only breaks it against himself. Then he said: O people! There are three traits such that as long as you act upon them, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will not punish you; gratitude to Allah, supplication, and seeking forgiveness. Then he recited these verses: ﴿مَا يَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ بِعَذَابِكُمْ إِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ وَآمَنْتُمْ﴾ meaning: What would Allah do with your punishment if you are grateful and believe, and He said: ﴿قُلْ مَا يَعْبَأُ بِكُمْ رَبِّي لَوْلَا دُعَاؤُكُمْ﴾ meaning: Say: My Lord would not care for you were it not for your supplication, and He said: ﴿وَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ مُعَذِّبَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ﴾ meaning: And Allah would not punish them while they seek forgiveness.