784 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Allah, Most High, says: ‘There are three persons for whom I shall be an adversary on the Day of Resurrection: a man who pledged in My name and then proved treacherous; a man who sold a free human being and consumed the price; and a man who hired a worker, took from him the full labor, yet failed to pay him his wage.’” Narrated by Muslim (1).

Glossary of ḥadith vocabulary
• “Three”: i.e., three individuals. Mentioning the number is not meant to restrict the matter, for Allah is the adversary of every wrong-doer; He singled these out only to underscore the severity of their crimes.
• “Adversary” (khaṣm): the verb khaṣama, yakhṣimu, khaṣman means “to overcome an opponent in dispute.” Khaṣm is a verbal noun; its plural is khuṣūm. The word can be used for one, two, or many, and for females as well.
• “Pledged in My name” (aʿṭā bī): the object is omitted; the meaning is, “He gave a covenant and security invoking My name, and swore by Me.”
• “Proved treacherous” (ghadara): the opposite of fulfilling a promise; that is, he broke the covenant and betrayed the trust. Al-Muḥīṭ states: “Ghadr denotes neglecting and abandoning something; the notion of breaking a covenant is derived from that.”
• “A free person” (ḥurran): the opposite of “slave.” Linguistically, ḥurr refers to one who has never tasted enslavement; its primary sense is with human beings, though it may be used figuratively for others.
• “Consumed the price”: eating is mentioned because it is the most sought-after benefit.

Lessons derived from the ḥadith
1 – The report indicates the prohibition of these three deeds and shows that they are among the gravest of sins.