'A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown into Hellfire, and his intestines will slip out and he will go around by them like a donkey goes around a millstone

Explanation

It was said to Osāmah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him): Why do you not go to ‘Uthmān ibn Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) and speak to him about the strife that has occurred among the people and the effort to put a complete end to it? He informed them that he spoke to him secretly, seeking the best interest, not inciting strife; that was because he did not want to openly denounce the rulers in public, lest it may be a reason for offense towards the Caliph - a door to strife and evil I will not be the first to open. Then, Osāmah (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he advised the rulers in secret and did not flatter anyone, even if he was a ruler, and did not flatter them by praising them to their faces falsely. This was after he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say that a man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown into Hellfire, and his intestines will come out of his stomach quickly due to the intense heat and severe torment. He will go around his intestines in this state in Hellfire like a donkey goes around its millstone. The people of Hellfire will gather around him in the form of a circle surrounding him, and they will ask him: O so-and-so, did you not use to command what is right and forbid what is wrong?! He will say: I used to command what is right, but I would not do it, and I used to forbid what is wrong, but I would do it.

Benefits

• The basic rule concerning advice to the rulers is that it should be done privately, and a person should not speak about it among the general public.
• The Hadīth gives a stern warning to those whose words do not match their deeds.
• People should deal with the rulers politely and gently and should enjoin them to do what is right and forbid them from what is wrong.
• The Hadīth denounces flattery to the rulers concerning the truth and revealing something different from what is inside, like a person who utters falsehood in flattery.

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