yet their utterance did not outweigh their evil deeds as the utterance of the man with the card outweighed his.
Similarly, it is reported in the two Sahīhs that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:
“While a man was walking along a road, he became extremely thirsty. He found a well, descended into it, and drank. When he emerged, he saw a dog panting and eating moist earth because of its thirst.
“The man said, ‘This dog is suffering from thirst just as I was.’ He descended into the well, filled his leather sock with water, then held it in his mouth until he had climbed out. He gave the dog water, so Allah appreciated his deed (1) and forgave him.” (2)
In another wording found in the two Sahīhs:
“A prostitute saw a dog circling a well on a hot day, its tongue lolling out from thirst. She took off [for it] her leather sock [and gave it water with it], and she was forgiven.” (3)
In another wording [in the two Sahīhs] (4):
“She was one of the prostitutes of the Children of Israel.” (5)
It is also reported in the two Sahīhs, from Abū Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—
(1) R reads: “Allah appreciated that deed of his.”
(2) The hadith is narrated from Abū Hurayrah—may Allah be pleased with him—in al-Bukhārī, 3/111–112 (Book of Drinking and Irrigation, Chapter on the Virtue of Providing Water), 3/132–133 (Book of Wrongs, Chapter on Wells along Roads When They Cause No Harm); Muslim, 4/1761 (Book of Greetings, Chapter on the Virtue of Giving Water and Food to Animals Whose Lives Are Protected); Sunan Abī Dāwūd, 3/33 (Book of Jihad, Chapter on the Required Care of Riding Animals and Livestock); and al-Muwatta, 2/929–930 (Book of the Description of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—General Chapter on Reports Concerning Food and Drink). The hadith is also found in al-Musnad.
(3) N and M read: “She took off her leather sock and was forgiven.” The hadith appeared previously at 5/297.
(4) The words “in the two Sahīhs” are omitted in N and M.
(5) This wording is found in al-Bukhārī, 4/173, and Muslim, 4/1761. *Adla'a lisānahu* means “its tongue lolled out”; *adla'a* and *dala'a* are two variant forms, meaning that the dog stuck out its tongue because of intense thirst. A *mūq* is a leather sock (*khuff*).