Thus, although the woman he loved had made herself fully available to him, the man stood up and withdrew out of fear of Allah; he attained perfect chastity, and it is hoped that he will be among those whom Allah shades on the Day when there is no shade but His.

This hadith also proves the excellence of trustworthiness and of managing another person’s property with integrity. When the laborer eventually returned, the employer could simply have paid him the original wage and kept the profits. Yet, because of his honesty, reliability, sincerity, and goodwill toward his brother, he handed over everything that the wage had produced.

Another benefit of the report is its clear demonstration of Allah’s power. By His permission alone the boulder was removed; no tools pried it away and no men pushed it aside. It was the command of Allah—the Mighty and Majestic—that first caused the rock to roll down and seal the cave, and it was His command that made it part once more. Allah is capable of all things.

The account further teaches that Allah hears supplications, for He heard the prayers of these men and answered them.

Among its lessons as well is that sincerity is one of the surest means of relieving distress, since each man said, “O Allah, if I did that solely for Your sake, then lift from us the plight we are in.”

As for ostentation—may Allah protect us—anyone who performs deeds merely to be seen and praised by people is like froth upon the water: it floats away and brings no benefit to its owner.