in general. As for a particular individual, the threatened punishment may be lifted because of sincere repentance, good deeds that erase sins, afflictions that expiate them, accepted intercession, or other causes whose harm lifts punishment from the sinner. This concerns someone whose sin is established.

Likewise, Hātib ibn Abī Balta‘ah did what he did, and he used to mistreat his slaves. Indeed, it is established in the Sahīh that his slave said, “O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, Hātib ibn Abī Balta‘ah will certainly enter the Fire!” He replied, “You are wrong. He was present at Badr and al-Hudaybiyah.”

It is also reported in the Sahīh, from ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—sent him and al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām, telling them, “Go to Rawdat Khākh. There you will find a woman carrying a letter.”

‘Alī said, “We set off, our horses racing along with us, until we encountered the woman. We asked, ‘Where is the letter?’ She replied, ‘I have no letter.’ We told her, ‘You will either produce the letter, or we will strip off your clothes.’” He said, “She then took it out of her braids. We brought it to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and found that it was a letter from Hātib to some of the polytheists in Mecca, informing them of some of the Prophet’s affairs—may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

“The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—asked, ‘What is this, Hātib?’ He replied, ‘By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I did not do this because I had renounced my religion or accepted disbelief after embracing Islam. Rather, I was affiliated with Quraysh but was not one of them by descent. The Muslims with you had relatives through whom they could protect their families in Mecca. Since I lacked such ties among them, I wanted to earn their favour so that they would protect my relatives.’”

In another wording: “And I knew that this would not harm you”—meaning that Allah grants victory to His Messenger and those who believe.

‘Umar said, “Let me