would only aggravate the very ailment for which it had been worn, and—far worse—if he were to persist in wearing it until death, he would be deprived of success in the Hereafter as well.

Relevance of the hadith to the chapter: It proves the prohibition against wearing a ring to ward off misfortune, because such an act is shirk and is incompatible with true success.

Points gleaned from the hadith:

1. Wearing a ring or any similar object as protection from illness is an act of shirk.
2. Seeking medical treatment through unlawful means is forbidden.
3. The duty to denounce wrongdoing and educate the ignorant.
4. Shirk brings harm both in this world and the next.
5. A mufti must inquire into details and consider people’s intentions.
6. Minor shirk is the gravest of the major sins.
7. Ignorance is not an excuse for committing shirk.
8. One must censure acts of shirk severely in order to deter people from them.