Report 84: ʿAbd Allāh narrated to us; my father informed us; Abū Muʿāwiyah narrated to us; al-Aʿmash narrated to us; from Sulaymān ibn Maysarah; from Ṭāriq ibn Shihāb; from Sulaymān, who said:

“A man entered Paradise because of a fly, while another man entered the Fire because of a fly.”

They asked, “How could that be?” He replied:

“Two men passed by a people who had an idol; no one was allowed to proceed until he had offered something to it. They said to one of them, ‘Make an offering.’ He answered, ‘I have nothing to give.’ They said, ‘Offer something—even a fly.’ So he offered a fly, and they let him go—whereupon he entered the Fire.

“They then said to the other, ‘Make an offering—even a fly.’ He responded, ‘I will never offer anything to anyone other than Allah, Exalted is He.’ So they struck off his neck, and he entered Paradise.”