young in age and foolish in judgment, uttering some of the finest words spoken by mankind. Their faith will not go beyond their throats. They will pass out of the religion as an arrow passes through its quarry. Wherever you encounter them, kill them, for whoever kills them will have a reward with Allah on the Day of Resurrection.’”

The two Sahīh collections also relate that Abū Sa‘īd said:

“‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib sent the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) a small quantity of gold from Yemen, wrapped in a cut piece of leather, with its earth not yet separated from it. He divided it among four men. One of his Companions said, ‘We were more entitled to this than these men.’ This reached the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said, ‘Will you not trust me, when I am trusted by the One above the heavens, and news from heaven comes to me morning and evening?’

“A man then stood up. He had deep-set eyes, prominent cheekbones, a protruding forehead, a thick beard, a shaved head, and his waist-wrapper tucked up. He said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, fear Allah!’ He replied, ‘Woe to you! Am I not the person on earth who should fear Allah most?’ The man then turned away, and Khālid ibn al-Walīd said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, shall I strike off his head?’ He replied, ‘No; perhaps he prays.’ Khālid said, ‘How many people pray yet say with their tongues what is not in their hearts!’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘I have not been commanded to probe people’s hearts or split open their bellies.’

“Then he looked at the man as he walked away and said, ‘From this man’s stock there will emerge people who recite the Book of Allah smoothly, yet it will not go beyond their throats. They will pass out of the religion as an arrow passes through its quarry.’”

The narrator said, “I think he said, ‘If I live to encounter them, I will kill them as ‘Ād were killed.’”

This is Muslim’s wording.