I saw Safwan and Jundab and Safwan's companions when Jundab was advising. They said, "Did you hear something from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" Jundab said, "I heard him saying, 'Whoever does a good deed in order to show off, Allah will expose his intentions on the Day of Resurrection (before the people), and whoever puts the people into difficulties, Allah will put him into difficulties on the Day of Resurrection.'" The people said (to Jundab), "Advise us." He said, "The first thing of the human body to purify is the `Abdomen, so he who can eat nothing but good food (Halal and earned lawfully) should do so, and he who does as much as he can that nothing intervene between him and Paradise by not shedding even a handful of blood, (i.e. murdering) should do so."
Exposition of the Hadith on Sincerity and Lawful Sustenance
This noble narration from Sahih al-Bukhari contains profound wisdom concerning the purification of one's intentions and actions. The first part addresses the grave matter of ostentation (riya') in worship, where the Prophet ﷺ warns that Allah will expose the hidden intentions of those who perform deeds to be seen by people. This serves as a powerful reminder that all acts of worship must be solely for Allah's pleasure.
Scholarly Commentary on Intentions and Consequences
The second portion addresses divine justice - whoever causes hardship to others will face corresponding hardship from Allah on Judgment Day. This establishes the Islamic principle of reciprocal justice in the hereafter, encouraging Muslims to treat others with compassion and justice.
Jundab's subsequent advice emphasizes the fundamental importance of consuming lawful (halal) sustenance, as the nourishment from such food becomes the foundation for all subsequent deeds. The scholars explain that when one consumes unlawful food, it corrupts the very substance from which good deeds emerge.
The Sanctity of Human Life
The final counsel regarding avoiding bloodshed underscores the supreme value of human life in Islam. The expression "not shedding even a handful of blood" powerfully illustrates that taking a single life unjustly creates an immense barrier between the perpetrator and Paradise. Classical commentators stress that this includes all forms of unlawful killing and oppression.