The consequence of Insincerity
The consequence of Insincerity
Abu Hurraira related a hadith in which the Prophet said, “The first people who will be consumed by the fire are three:
A scholar who has learned the Qur’an by heart. A mujahid (soldier for Allah) who was killed in the path of Allah. And a very rich man. The first to be called to account will be the reciter of the Qur’an. Allah will ask him, “Did I not teach you what I sent down to My Messenger?” He will say, “Yes, My Lord.” And Allah will ask him, “What did you do with this?” He will say, “I used to stand reciting by night and by day, hoping for Your reward.”
Allah will say, “You lied,” and the Angels will say, “You lied,” and then Allah will say, “But you only wanted for people to say, so and so is a reciter of the Qur’an. And they had already said it. Take him to Hell.” Then the rich man will be brought and Allah will ask him, “Was I not generous to you to the point that you were not in need of anyone?”
He will say, “Yes, My Lord.” Allah will ask him, “So what did you do with what I gave you?” “My Lord, You provided me with wealth, and I spent it on the poor, hoping for Your reward and for Paradise.” Allah will say, “You lied.” And the Angels will say, “You lied.” Allah will say, “Rather, you wanted them to say that so and so is a generous man. And that is what they said. Take him to Hell.”
Then the man who was killed in the path of Allah will be brought. Allah will ask him, “Why were you killed?” He will say, “My Lord, I went out to battle for Your sake and I fought the enemy until I was killed, hoping for Your reward and for Paradise.” Allah will say, “You lied.” And the Angels will say, “You lied.” Then Allah will say, “Rather, you fought so that people would say so and so is a brave man, and that is what they said. Now take him to Hell.”
Then the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “O Abu Hurraira, these are the first three of Allah’s creations whom Hell will begin to burn on the Day of Resurrection.”(58) These are the two main pillars of tawhid: Islam is the worship of Allah in the light of the Qur’an and the Sunnah of His Prophet. Whoever acts upon these two things and absolves himself of associating anything with Him, and absolves himself of innovation in religion will find success.
The two main dangers facing this Nation have always been shirk, associating something else with Allah, and bid’a, innovating in religion by trying to worship Allah by doing things that the Prophet did not teach us to do.
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(58) Tirmidhi; al-Hakim, 3/111.
