Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: "There are three to whom Allah will not speak to on the Day of Resurrection, not will He look at them, nor will He purify them, and they will have a painful punishment. (1) A man at a place with excess water in the desert and who withholds it from the travelers. (2) A man who sold a commodity to another person in the afternoon (or after the 'Asr prayer) and swore to him by Allah that he had bought it at such and such price and he (the buyer) believed him yet that was not the case. (3) And a man who pledged allegiance to an Imam only for the sake of the world (material gains). Hence, if the Imam bestowed on him something out of that (i.e. worldly riches) he stood by his pledge of allegiance, and if he did not give him, he did not fulfill the pledge of allegiance."[Agreed upon].
Exposition of the Hadith
This profound hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, recorded in Bulugh al-Maram 1429, enumerates three grave sins that incur Allah's severe displeasure on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet (ﷺ) warns that these individuals will be deprived of divine speech, gaze, and purification - the ultimate manifestations of divine mercy.
First Category: The Water Withholder
The first condemned person is one who withholds surplus water in the desert from travelers. Scholars explain this extends to all forms of necessary resources - food, shelter, medicine - that one possesses in excess while others suffer need. This violates the Islamic principle of social responsibility and brotherhood.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani comments in Fath al-Bari that this prohibition applies even if the water is privately owned, for the preservation of life takes precedence over individual property rights in situations of dire necessity.
Second Category: The False Oath-Taker
The second condemned is one who falsely swears by Allah during commercial transactions. The specific mention of afternoon time indicates the gravity, as this is when people are weary and more susceptible to deception.
Imam al-Nawawi states in Sharh Sahih Muslim that this includes all forms of commercial fraud where one exploits religious oaths to deceive others. The sanctity of Allah's name is violated for worldly gain, compounding the sin.
Third Category: The Opportunistic Allegiance-Giver
The third condemned person gives allegiance to a ruler solely for worldly benefits. Scholars clarify that this applies to both political and religious leadership contexts where one's loyalty is conditional upon material gain.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali explains in Jami' al-Ulum wal-Hikam that such allegiance should be given for Allah's pleasure and the establishment of justice, not for personal enrichment. This betrayal of trust corrupts the very foundation of Islamic governance.
Spiritual Consequences
The threefold punishment - deprivation of divine speech, gaze, and purification - represents complete spiritual abandonment. Allah's speech signifies mercy, His gaze indicates acceptance, and purification denotes forgiveness. Their absence means eternal wretchedness.
Al-Qurtubi notes in al-Tadhkirah that these punishments correspond to the nature of the sins: those who withheld mercy receive no divine speech; those who deceived receive no divine gaze of recognition; those who corrupted loyalty receive no purification.