Mandatory and discretionary punishments

عَنْ عُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ قَالَ: بَايَعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي رَهْطٍ، فَقَالَ: «أُبَايِعُكُمْ عَلَى أَنْ لا تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا، وَلا تَسْرِقُوا، وَلا تَزْنُوا، وَلا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلاَدَكُمْ، وَلا تَأْتُوا بِبُهْتَانٍ تَفْتَرُونَهُ بَيْنَ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَأَرْجُلِكُمْ، وَلا تَعْصُونِي فِي مَعْرُوفٍ، فَمَنْ وَفَى مِنْكُمْ فَأَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا فَأُخِذَ بِهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا، فَهُوَ كَفَّارَةٌ لَهُ وَطَهُورٌ، وَمَنْ سَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ فَذَلِكَ إِلَى اللَّهِ؛ إِنْ شَاءَ عَذَّبَهُ، وَإِنْ شَاءَ غَفَرَ لَهُ».

تحميل الملف الصوتي

‘Ubādah ibn al-Ṣāmit narrated saying:

1. I gave my pledge to God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) together with a group of people. He said to us:

I accept your pledge that you shall not associate any partner with God, steal, commit adultery, kill your own children, lie about a child’s parenthood, nor disobey me in anything reasonable.

2. Whoever of you fulfils his pledge shall have his reward granted by God, and whoever commits any violation and is punished for it in this life, [his punishment] will be a redemption and cleansing for him. Whoever is kept under God’s cover, his case is left to God: He may punish him for it or forgive him as He wills.

Summary of Meaning

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The Prophet (peace be upon him) accepted the pledges made by the Anṣār on the night of Aqabah. They pledged not to associate partners with God, steal, commit adultery, kill their children, nor perpetrate any falsehood. Whoever remained true to their pledge would have their reward from God as He admitted them into Heaven. Whoever committed a sin that carried a mandatory punishment and the punishment was enforced, his sin would be wiped away. Otherwise, his case would be determined by God: He could, if He so willed, punish him for his sin then admit him into Heaven, or He could forgive him.