and his cooking-pots have not yet been shattered. By Him in whose hand is my soul, either you are following a way more rightly guided than the way of Muhammad, or else you are opening a gate of misguidance."

They answered, "By Allah, Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, we meant nothing but good."

He replied, "How many a person who seeks good never attains it! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told us that there will be people who recite the Qur’an yet it does not pass beyond their collar-bones. By Allah, I do not know—perhaps most of them are people like you." He then turned away from them.

ʿUmar ibn Salamah said, "We later saw the majority of those same men thrusting their spears at us on the Day of Nahrawān, fighting on the side of the Khārijites. (1)

c) A man once came to Imām Mālik ibn Anas and asked, "From where should I enter into ihrām?" He answered, "From the miqāt that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ designated and from which he himself assumed ihrām."

The man said, "And if I begin my ihrām from a point farther away?" Mālik replied, "I do not think that is appropriate."

He asked, "What do you dislike about that?" Mālik said, "I fear it may be a source of trial (fitnah) for you."

The man objected, "What trial could there be in increasing what is good?" Mālik responded, "Allah the Exalted says, 'Let those who oppose his command beware lest a trial afflict them or a painful punishment befall them' (Q 24:63). And what trial could be greater than that you…"