Riyad as-Salihin

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "A woman was punished in Hell because of a cat which she had confined until it died. She did not give it to eat or to drink when it was confined, nor did she free it so that it might eat the vermin of the earth."

I happened to pass by some lads of the Quraish who had tied a bird at which they have been shooting arrows. Every arrow that they missed came into the possession of the owner of the bird. No sooner had they seen Ibn 'Umar, they dispersed. Thereupon, Ibn 'Umar said: "Who has done this? May Allah curse him who has done so. Verily, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has cursed anyone who makes a live thing the target (of one's marksmanship).".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade animals being tied (as targets)..

I was the seventh child of Banu Muqarrin and we had only one slave-girl. When the youngest of us once happened to slap her (on the face) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered us to set her free..

I was beating my slave with a whip when I heard a voice behind me which said: "Abu Mas'ud! Bear in mind..." I did not recognize the voice for the intense anger I was in. Abu Mas'ud added: As he came near me, I found that he was the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who was saying, "Abu Mas'ud! Bear in mind that Allah has more dominance upon you than you have upon your slave." Then I said: "I will never beat any slave in future."Another narration is: The whip dropped from my hand in awe of the Prophet (ﷺ).Still another narration is: I said: "He is free for the sake of Allah." He (ﷺ) said, "If you had not done this, you would have been singed by the Fire.".

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The expiation for beating or slapping a slave on the face for something he has not done is to set him free.".

"What is the matter?" He was told that they had been detained for the non-payment of Jizyah. (Another narration says that they were being tortured for not having paid Al-Kharaj). Thereupon Hisham said: "I bear testimony to the fact that I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, 'Allah will torment those who torment people in the world."' Then he proceeded towards their Amir and reported this Hadith to him. The Amir then issued orders for their release..

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw an ass which had been branded on the face. He disapproved of it. Upon this Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said, "By Allah, I shall not brand (the animal) but on a part at a distance from the face." Ibn 'Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) then commanded branding on the hips; he was the first person to brand the animals on hips..

An ass with a brand on the face happened to pass before the Prophet (ﷺ). Thereupon he said, "May Allah curse the one who has branded it (on the face).".Another narration in Muslim is: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited us from hitting across the face and branding on the face (of an animal)."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent us on an expedition and said to us, "If you find so- and-so (he named two persons belonging to the Quraish) commit them to the fire." When we were on the verge of departure, he said to us, "I ordered you to burn so-and-so, but it is Allah Alone Who punishes with the fire. So if you find them put them to death.".

We were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in a journey when he drew apart (to relieve nature). In his absence, we saw a red bird which had two young ones with it. We caught them and the red mother bird came, beating the earth with its wings. In the meantime the Prophet (ﷺ) returned and said, "Who has put this bird to distress on account of its young? Return them to her." He (ﷺ) also noticed a mound of ants which we had burnt up. He asked, "Who has set fire to this?" We replied: "We have done so." He (ﷺ) said, "None can chastise with fire except the Rubb of the fire.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It is an act of oppression on the part of a person to procrastinate in fulfilling his obligation; if the repayment of a debt due to any of you is undertaken by a rich person, you should agree to the substitution.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who gives something (to someone) as a gift and then gets it back (from him or her) is like a dog which eats its own vomit."Another narration is: "He who gets back his charity is like a dog which vomits and then returns to that and eats it.".

I donated a horse in the way of Allah. Its new possessor did not treat it properly. I made my mind to buy it because I thought that he would sell it at a cheap price (now that it became weak and emaciated). I asked the Prophet (ﷺ) about it, whereupon he said, "Do not buy it and do not get back your charity, for one who gets back the charity is like a dog that eats its own vomit."

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Keep away from the seven fatalities." It was asked: "What are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Associating anything with Allah in worship (i.e., committing an act of Shirk), sorcery, killing of one whom Allah has declared inviolable without a just cause, devouring the property of an orphan, the eating of usury (Riba), fleeing from the battlefield and accusing chaste believing women, who never even think of anything touching their chastity.".

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) cursed the one who accepts Ar-Riba (the usury) and the one who pays it. . The narration in At-Tirmidhi adds: And the one who records it, and the two persons who stand witness to it.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Almighty Allah says, 'I am the One Who is most free from want of partners. He who does a thing for the sake of someone else beside Me, I discard him and his polytheism..".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying, "The first to be judged on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who had died as a martyr. He will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: 'What did you do to express gratitude for it?' The man will reply: 'I fought for Your Cause till I was martyred.' Allah will say: 'You have lied. You fought so that people might call you courageous; and they have done so.' Command will then be issued about him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell. Next a man who had acquired and imparted knowledge and read the Qur'an will be brought forward, Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: 'What did you do to express gratitude for it?' The man will reply: 'I acquired knowledge and taught it, and read the Qur'an for Your sake.' Allah will say to him: 'You have lied. You acquired knowledge so that people might call you a learned (man), and you read the Qur'an so that they might call you a reciter, and they have done so.' Command will then be issued about him, and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell. Next a man whom Allah had made affluent and to whom Allah had given plenty of wealth, will be brought forward, Allah will remind him of the favours He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. He will ask him: 'What did you do to express gratitude for it?' The man will reply: 'I did not neglect any of the ways You liked wealth to be spent liberally for Your sake'. Allah will say to him: 'You have lied. You did it so that people might call you generous, and they have done so.' Command will then be issued about him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.".

Some people told me, "We visit our rulers and we tell them things contrary to those which we say when we depart from them." `Abdullah bin `Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) replied: "In the era of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) we considered this to be an act of hypocrisy." .

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who so acts to show off, Allah will disgrace him on the Day of Resurrection, and he who does good deeds so that people (may hold him in high esteem), Allah will expose his hidden evil intentions before the people on the Day of Resurrection.".