nor will He look at him or purify him; rather, a painful punishment awaits him.

The author concludes with the ḥadīth of Abū Dharr, in which the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: “Three types of people Allah will neither speak to on the Day of Resurrection, nor look at, nor purify; and for them is a painful punishment.” He repeated this statement three times. The Prophet ﷺ did so to seize the listener’s attention, for when a remark is delivered in general terms—especially with repetition—it alerts the mind so that, when the details are finally given, they meet a soul eager for clarification.

Abū Dharr therefore asked, “Messenger of Allah, they are ruined and lost—who are they?” He replied, “The one who lets his garment trail below the ankles out of pride; the benefactor who keeps reminding others of what he has given; and the merchant who promotes his goods by means of false oaths.”

The first—“the one who lets his garment trail”—is the person who drags his clothes in arrogance. The second—“the one who reminds others”—is he who, after doing someone a favor, keeps saying, “I did this for you, I did that for you.” Such mann (reminding others of one’s generosity) is one of the major sins, because it incurs this threat and cancels the reward, as Allah, Exalted is He, says: “O you who believe, do not nullify your charities with reminders or injury” (Qur’an 2:264).

The third is the trader who pushes his merchandise through lying oaths: he swears falsely to raise the price, saying, “By Allah, I bought it for ten,” though he purchased it for only eight, or, “I have been offered ten for it,” when in fact he has not