And Allah—exalted is He—has spoken about such people: “Among them are those who find fault with you concerning the charities; if they are given a share of it, they are pleased, but if they are not given any, they become resentful” (Qur’an 9:58).
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The central lesson drawn from this hadith is the false oath, all the more so because it combines deceit and manipulation in order to consume people’s wealth unlawfully. For that reason its perpetrator faces a severe punishment: on the Day of Resurrection Allah will not look at him with mercy, will not address him with words of grace, and will not purify him or cleanse him of his sins through forgiveness. Instead, he will suffer a painful torment—an exact requital. We ask Allah the Most High for well-being and safety.
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The hadith affirms the reality of punishment in the Hereafter and highlights its intensity and agony.
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It also establishes the prohibition of the three traits mentioned: withholding water so as to deny others access to the surrounding pasture; taking a false oath to promote merchandise and cheat people; and—though it may not involve an oath—spreading deceptive advertising through the media to market goods and defraud consumers, for that too falls under the same ruling.
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Likewise, the hadith forbids pledging allegiance to rulers and supporting them for purely worldly interests, and it forbids opposing them and speaking ill of them simply because one has been denied worldly benefits. What is required of Muslims toward their rulers is to offer them sincere counsel, pray for their success and right guidance, and refrain from maligning them.