1225 – Abu Umamah al-Harithi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever seizes the right of a Muslim by swearing an oath, Allah has decreed the Fire for him and has made Paradise forbidden to him.” A man asked, “Even if it is something very small, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Even if it is only a twig from an arak tree.” Muslim related it. (1)

Vocabulary of the ḥadith:
– qadīban: a branch or twig of a tree.
– arak: with an open hamzah. Lisān al-ʿArab defines it as a well-known tree—the siwāk tree—whose branches are used as natural toothbrushes. Al-Wasīṭ adds: the arak, singular arakah, is a small shrubby plant of the arak family, profusely branched, with pliant wood, and it grows in hot climates.