[Commentary]

The Shaykh—may Allah have mercy on him—writes: “Chapter: The prohibition of pointing a piece of iron or anything similar at one’s brother, whether in earnest or in jest, and the prohibition of handling a sword while it is unsheathed.”

These are two separate matters.

1. The first is for someone to point a weapon, a piece of metal, a stone, or the like at another person as though intending to hurl it at him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade this, for while he is brandishing it Satan may cause his hand to slip; the object may fly from his grasp, and he will fall into a pit of the Fire—may Allah protect us.

2. The same ruling applies to what some reckless people do: speeding toward a person who is standing, sitting, or lying down, merely as a prank, then swerving away at the last moment so as not to run him over. This is likewise forbidden, for the driver does not know—Satan may cause his hand to slip so that he loses control of the vehicle and ends up in a pit of the Fire. The same goes for setting a dog on someone. A man owns a dog and another person comes to visit; he incites the dog against him. The dog may charge and maul the visitor, or wound him, and after that the owner may not be able to restrain it.

The essential point is that every action that can lead to destruction is forbidden, whether done seriously or in jest, as the hadith of Abu Hurayrah makes clear.