Three Types of People Who Will be Denied Allah’s Mercy

The Day of Judgment will be the Day of Justice. On that day, the greatest fortune for human beings will be to attain the mercy and pleasure of Almighty Allah. Conversely, the gravest misfortune will be to face Allah’s displeasure. Hadith collections mention three categories of people about whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said that Allah the Exalted will neither speak to them on the Day of Judgment nor look upon them with mercy, and that a severe punishment awaits them. The hadith states:

The hadith was narrated by Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ثَلاَثَةٌ لاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمْ اللهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ رَجُلٌ حَلَفَ عَلَى سِلْعَةٍ لَقَدْ أَعْطَى بِهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا أَعْطَى وَهُوَ كَاذِبٌ وَرَجُلٌ حَلَفَ عَلَى يَمِينٍ كَاذِبَةٍ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ لِيَقْتَطِعَ بِهَا مَالَ امْرِئٍ مُسْلِمٍ وَرَجُلٌ مَنَعَ فَضْلَ مَاءٍ فَيَقُولُ اللهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الْيَوْمَ أَمْنَعُكَ فَضْلِي كَمَا مَنَعْتَ فَضْلَ مَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ يَدَاكَ

There are three types of people to whom Allah will neither speak on the Day of Judgment nor look at them; (1) a man who falsely swears regarding his merchandise, claiming that it could have been sold for a higher price than the one at which he sold it; (2) a man who takes a false oath after the Asr prayer in order to unlawfully seize the property of a Muslim; and (3) a man who withholds surplus water. Allah will say to him on the Day of Judgment, ‘Today I will withhold My favor from you, just as you withheld that favor which was not of your own making.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith: 7446)

According to the explanation of the hadith, the first person is the trader who swears falsely to sell his goods. He seeks to convince the buyer by saying, “I was offered a higher price than this,” or “I purchased it for this amount,” when in reality such claims are untrue. In Islam, trade is regarded as an act of worship, but deception and false oaths turn that act of worship into sin. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “A false oath may help sell merchandise, but it destroys its blessing.” (Al-Bukhari, Hadith: 2087; Muslim, Hadith: 1606) In today’s world, the prevalence of exaggerated claims, false pricing, and deceptive oaths in both online and offline commerce makes the warning of this hadith even more relevant.

The second person is one who takes a false oath to unlawfully seize another person’s property. The hadith specifically mentions an oath taken after the Asr prayer because people of that time attached greater significance to such oaths. The central lesson is that using false oaths in courts, land disputes, business dealings, or family conflicts to deprive others of their rightful claims constitutes a grave offense in the sight of Allah. Allah the Exalted says, “And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse: 188)

The third person is one who withholds water beyond his own needs. In Islam, water is a blessing granted by Allah over which people have a fundamental right. If someone satisfies his own needs and then withholds water with the intention of depriving others, he effectively acts against humanity itself. Therefore, Allah the Exalted will say to him on the Day of Judgment, “Today I will withhold My favor from you, just as you deprived people of a blessing that you did not create yourself.” (Al-Bukhari, Hadith: 7446)

This hadith does not merely describe three specific incidents; rather, it teaches three fundamental principles of Islam. First, maintaining honesty in transactions. Second, never usurping the rights of others unjustly. Third, ensuring people’s legitimate access to public-benefit resources granted by Allah.

Today’s society is witnessing a growing increase in adulteration, fraud, false promotion, forged documents, land grabbing, and the misuse of natural resources, including water. A believer should uphold truthfulness in every transaction, strive to protect the rights of others, and use Allah’s blessings for the benefit of humanity. For on the Day of Judgment, a person’s true success will depend on attaining Allah’s pleasure. Therefore, each of us should refrain from all actions that may lead to deprivation of Allah’s mercy.

Author: Religious Scholer, Teacher, ABC International School, Narayanganj.