is not bitten from the same hole twice, for he is watchful, perceptive, and shrewd. This shows that one ought to be sharp-witted and never return to something that has already harmed him. Rather, he should behave like a believer, for such caution is part of perfected faith. Allah alone grants success.

Scattered Sayings and Subtle Points (Part Two)

1835 – On his authority it is reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Three people—Allah will neither speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor look at them, nor purify them, and for them is a painful punishment: a man who has surplus water in a wilderness and withholds it from a wayfarer; a man who sells a commodity to another after the afternoon prayer, swearing by Allah that he has been offered such-and-such for it, and the buyer believes him while this is untrue; and a man who pledges allegiance to a leader solely for worldly gain—if he is given from it he is loyal, but if he is denied he reneges.” Agreed upon.

[Explanation]

These hadiths were cited by the author—may Allah have mercy on him—in his book Riyad al-Salihin, all narrated by Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him). They state that three kinds of people—Allah will neither speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor look at them, nor purify them, and a painful punishment awaits them. “Three” here means three categories; it is not restricted to just three individual men—whole multitudes could share these descriptions.

The first is a man who possesses surplus water in a barren desert yet withholds it from a stranded traveler. In other words, someone who has water from a farm, a well, or any other source in an uninhabited wilderness through which people pass