"Allah will never combine the dust in the cause of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, and the smoke of Hell, in the lungs of a Muslim man, and Allah will never combine faith in Allah, and stinginess in the heart of a Muslim man."
Hadith Commentary - Sunan an-Nasa'i 3115
This profound hadith from The Book of Jihad in Sunan an-Nasa'i contains two powerful spiritual principles that illuminate the nature of divine justice and the purity of faith.
First Principle: Incompatibility of Jihad and Hellfire
The statement "Allah will never combine the dust in the cause of Allah and the smoke of Hell in the lungs of a Muslim man" signifies that one who truly engages in jihad fi sabil Allah - struggling in Allah's path - and bears the hardships including the dust of battle, cannot simultaneously be destined for the Hellfire. The dust becomes a witness of sincerity and the smoke of Hell represents ultimate punishment - two opposites that cannot coexist in the same individual.
Second Principle: Incompatibility of Faith and Stinginess
"Allah will never combine faith in Allah and stinginess in the heart of a Muslim man" reveals that true faith (iman) and miserliness (bukhl) are mutually exclusive. Genuine faith necessitates generosity, as the believer recognizes everything belongs to Allah. Stinginess indicates weakness in faith and attachment to worldly possessions, contradicting the essence of tawhid and trust in divine provision.
Scholarly Interpretation
Classical scholars explain this hadith demonstrates Allah's perfect justice - He does not punish sincere effort in His cause nor reward contradictory states of heart. The "dust" symbolizes physical struggle while "smoke" represents spiritual punishment. Similarly, faith represents spiritual abundance while stinginess reflects spiritual poverty. These cannot coexist in a balanced spiritual state.
Practical Implications
This teaching encourages Muslims to purify their intentions in jihad and develop generous character. It provides comfort that sincere struggle for Allah's pleasure brings protection from Hellfire, while warning that clinging to wealth undermines the completeness of faith. The hadith ultimately calls for internal consistency between outward actions and inward states.