will guide him. How many a person was once among the fiercest foes of the Muslims and of Islam, yet Allah guided him and he became one of the very best of Allah’s believing servants. Let us give an example: ʿUmar ibn al-Khattab—the man ranked second only to Abu Bakr in this community—had been one of Islam’s most implacable enemies, until Allah opened his heart and he embraced the faith.

The same is true of Khalid ibn al-Walid, who fought against the Muslims at Uhud and was among those who wheeled back on them and overran them; and of ʿIkrimah ibn Abi Jahl, and others from the senior Companions who were at first bitter enemies of the Muslims, but whom Allah later guided.

For that reason He said: “You have no part in the matter—whether He turns to them in mercy or punishes them, for they are wrongdoers” (Q 3:128).

If, however, a person dies as a disbeliever and we know he died in that state, there is no objection to cursing him, for his guidance is now impossible—may Allah protect us—since he departed this life in unbelief. Yet what do we actually gain by cursing him? Such cursing may even fall under the Prophet’s ﷺ instruction: “Do not revile the dead, for they have reached the consequences of what they sent before.” So we say to the one who curses the dead disbeliever: In truth your curse brings no benefit, for he has already incurred expulsion and removal from the mercy of Allah. He will never be among those shown mercy; rather, he is one of the people of Hell, where they will remain forever.

The same applies to animals: it is unlawful to curse an animal—be it a camel, donkey, cow, or sheep. One must not curse it, and, Allah willing, the coming hadiths will clarify the ruling on this.

The author then mentions the hadith of Abu Zayd Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) in which the Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever deliberately swears a false oath by a religion other than Islam is exactly as