عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ رَضِيَ الله عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِىَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: " فَاتَّقُوا النَّارَ وَلَوْ بِشِقِّ تَمْرَةٍ ، فَمَنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ فَبِكَلِمَةٍ طَيِّبَةٍ.

Adiy bin Hatim (R) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

“Protect yourself from Hell-Fire, even by giving a piece of date as charity!..”

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PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HELL -FIRE

This Hadith brings the following points to our attention:

1- Indeed, every one will enter Hell-Fire. Because Allah (SWT) says in the Holy Quran ( Maryam: 79): “ There is not one of you but will pass over Jahannam..”. But those who have perfect faith, who have many good deeds, who were dutiful to Allah, will not feel any pain of Jahannam, even they entered in it. As Allah (SWT) says after the above verse: “Then we shall save those who use to fear Allah and were dutiful to Him… And we shall leave the Zalimun (wrongdoers) therein”. So, we have to strive to protect ourselves from Hell-Fire, we must find a way or ways to guard us from Jahannam. The following evidences show us how terrible the fire of Jahannam is:

"When they are cast therein, they will hear the terrible) drawing in of its breath as it blazes forth. It almost bursts up with fury. Every time a group is cast therein, its keeper will ask: "Did no Warner come to you?". Say: "The truth is from your Lord" Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve. Verily, we have prepared for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers), a fire whose walls will be surrounding them. And if they ask for help, they will be granted water like boiling oil that will scald their faces. Terrible is the drink, and an evil place!"."In front of him is Hell, and he will be made to drink boiling, festering water. He will sip it unwillingly, and he will find a great difficulty to sallow it down his throat, and death will come to him from every side, yet he will not die and in front of him, will be a great torment "

That is why it should be everyone's first duty in this world to protect him/her from such great torment.

• We should not underestimate any simple good action, but we should do it, just as the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) says in another Hadith: “Do not belittle any good deed, even meeting your brother with a cheerful face”. By that simple good action, our Hasanat (good deeds) may be more than our Sayyiaat (bad actions), and then Allah (SWT) may guard us from Jahannam on the Day of Resurrection. That is why the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) advised us in this Hadith, to protect ourselves from Hell-Fire even by giving a piece of date as charity..
• On the other hand, if we practice what is prescribed in the Quran and what is prescribed in the Sunnah, we can earn many rewards in this world as well. For example, If you give something to the needy people as charity, if you spend any money for the sake of Allah, then Allah (SWT) replaces that money with much more, as the Quran says ( Sab’a:39): “And whatsoever you spend of anything ( in Allah’s cause), He will replace it..”. For instance, If you give ten dollars as charity, Allah (SWT) returns back that ten dollars to you as a hundred dollars. That is why the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) said in another Hadith: “Charity does not reduce from your money”.
• In the above Hadith the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), indirectly, asks you a very important question: “With which things do you protect yourself from Hell-Fire?!.” In another word, “What have you done, today, in order to protect yourself from Jahannam?” When you go to sleep, I advise you ask these questions to yourself and answer them truly in your heart. If you can find a reasonable answer, then indeed good news belong to you.

Al-Bukhari, Riqaaq 31, Zakaat 10. Muslim, Zakaat 97

Al-Mulk: 7-8

Al-Kahf: 29

Ibrahim: 16-17