’ When he realizes that he cannot escape it, he puts his hand into its mouth, and it gnaws it as a male camel does.”

In another narration:

“It continues to pursue him until he puts his hand into its mouth, and it gnaws it; then he puts the rest of his body into its mouth.”

Allah Most High says in another verse:

“Those who hoard gold and silver and do not spend it in the way of Allah—give them tidings of a painful punishment.”

“On the Day when it will be heated in the fire of Hell, and their foreheads, sides and backs will be branded with it: ‘This is what you hoarded for yourselves, so taste what you used to hoard.’”

It is authentically reported in the Sahīh and elsewhere that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“No one who possesses hoarded treasure and fails to pay its zakat will escape having it heated in the fire of Hell and made into plates with which his forehead and both sides are branded, until Allah judges between His servants on a Day whose length is fifty thousand years as you reckon them. Then he will see his way, either to Paradise or to the Fire.”

In the hadith of Abū Dharr:

“Give those who hoard wealth tidings of stones heated in the fire of Hell. A stone will be placed on the nipple of one of them until it emerges from the upper edge of his shoulder blade, and placed on the upper edge of his shoulder blade until it emerges from his nipple, shaking as it passes through. The stones will brand their foreheads, sides and backs until the heat meets within their bodies.”

This accords with what is in the Quran and indicates that it takes place after entering the Fire. Thus, this will happen to those who enter the Fire after first undergoing that punishment at the place of standing for judgment. Because this wrongdoer withheld zakat, he will be gathered with those like him and with his wealth, to which he became enslaved instead of Allah, and he will be punished with it—even though he is not among those guilty of major shirk who will remain in the Fire forever.

This is why he said at the end of the hadith:

“Then he will see his way, either to Paradise or to the Fire.”

This is after he has been punished for fifty thousand years as you reckon them; he then enters Paradise. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Shirk in this community is more imperceptible than the creeping of