upon him in matters of the Hereafter is to be just as alert—indeed, even more so. Allah the Exalted says: “But you prefer the life of this world, whereas the Hereafter is better and more lasting; this is indeed recorded in the earliest scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses” (Sūrah al-Aʿlā 16–19).

This ḥadith therefore shows that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the swiftest of all people in hastening to good deeds and that he, may blessings and peace be upon him, needed to perform righteous works just as everyone else does. For that reason, when he once said, “No one will enter Paradise because of his deeds,” they asked, “Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Not even I, unless Allah envelops me in His mercy.” Such was the Prophet ﷺ.

The report also indicates that it is permissible to step over people’s necks—i.e., to move through the rows—after the salām ending the prayer, especially when there is a need, because once the prayer is over people are free to leave their places. This contrasts with stepping over necks before the prayer begins, which is forbidden as it harms the worshippers. For this reason the Prophet ﷺ once interrupted his Friday sermon when he saw a man doing so and said, “Sit down, for you have caused harm.”

The ḥadith further proves that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, like other human beings—