—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—to curb him and deal him a stern rebuke. The Prophet ﷺ was certainly able to do so, yet because the wording they had used showed poor etiquette toward Allah—an expression that ought never be uttered—he rejected it, thereby teaching the Companions, closing the door to anything that might lead to polytheism, and safeguarding pure monotheism.

Relevance of the report to this chapter: it records the Prophet’s ﷺ disapproval of seeking deliverance from anyone other than Allah.

Lessons derived from the ḥadith:

1. Deliverance must not be sought from the Prophet ﷺ; seeking it from anyone else is even more impermissible.
2. It guides us to choose proper language and protect the doctrine of tawḥīd (monotheism).
3. It closes the pathways that could lead to shirk (associating partners with Allah).
4. It establishes the legitimacy of patiently enduring harm for Allah’s sake.
5. It condemns hypocrisy.
6. Harming the believers is forbidden, for it is the hallmark of the hypocrites.