Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
bukhari:6493ʿAlī b. ʿAyyāsh > Abū Ghassān > Abū Ḥāzim > Sahl b. Saʿd al-Sāʿidī

The Prophet ﷺ looked at a man fighting against the pagans and he was one of the most competent persons fighting on behalf of the Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Let him who wants to look at a man from the dwellers of the (Hell) Fire, look at this (man)." Another man followed him and kept on following him till he (the fighter) was injured and, seeking to die quickly, he placed the blade tip of his sword between his breasts and leaned over it till it passed through his shoulders (i.e., committed suicide)." The Prophet ﷺ added, "A person may do deeds that seem to the people as the deeds of the people of Paradise while in fact, he is from the dwellers of the (Hell) Fire: and similarly a person may do deeds that seem to the people as the deeds of the people of the (Hell) Fire while in fact, he is from the dwellers of Paradise. Verily, the (results of) deeds done, depend upon the last actions."  

البخاري:٦٤٩٣حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو غَسَّانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو حَازِمٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ قَالَ

نَظَرَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِلَى رَجُلٍ يُقَاتِلُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَكَانَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ غَنَاءً عَنْهُمْ فَقَالَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا فَتَبِعَهُ رَجُلٌ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَتَّى جُرِحَ فَاسْتَعْجَلَ الْمَوْتَ فَقَالَ بِذُبَابَةِ سَيْفِهِ فَوَضَعَهُ بَيْنَ ثَدْيَيْهِ فَتَحَامَلَ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْنِ كَتِفَيْهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَعْمَلُ فِيمَا يَرَى النَّاسُ عَمَلَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَيَعْمَلُ فِيمَا يَرَى النَّاسُ عَمَلَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَهْوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّمَا الأَعْمَالُ بِخَوَاتِيمِهَا  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Ṭabarānī, Suyūṭī
bukhari:4207ʿAbdullāh b. Maslamah > Ibn Abū Ḥāzim from his father > Sahl

During one of his Ghazawat, the Prophet ﷺ encountered the pagans, and the two armies fought, and then each of them returned to their army camps. Amongst the (army of the) Muslims there was a man who would follow every pagan separated from the army and strike him with his sword. It was said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! None has fought so satisfactorily as so-and-so (namely, that brave Muslim). "The Prophet said, "He is from the dwellers of the Hell-Fire." The people said, "Who amongst us will be of the dwellers of Paradise if this (man) is from the dwellers of the Hell-Fire?" Then a man from amongst the people said, "I will follow him and accompany him in his fast and slow movements." The (brave) man got wounded, and wanting to die at once, he put the handle of his sword on the ground and its tip in between his breasts, and then threw himself over it, committing suicide. Then the man (who had watched the deceased) returned to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "I testify that you are Apostle of Allah." The Prophet ﷺ said, "What is this?" The man told him the whole story. The Prophet ﷺ said, "A man may do what may seem to the people as the deeds of the dwellers of Paradise, but he is of the dwellers of the Hell-Fire and a man may do what may seem to the people as the deeds of the dwellers of the Hell-Fire, but he is from the dwellers of Paradise."  

البخاري:٤٢٠٧حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ سَهْلٍ قَالَ

الْتَقَى النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَالْمُشْرِكُونَ فِي بَعْضِ مَغَازِيهِ فَاقْتَتَلُوا فَمَالَ كُلُّ قَوْمٍ إِلَى عَسْكَرِهِمْ وَفِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ رَجُلٌ لاَ يَدَعُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ شَاذَّةً وَلاَ فَاذَّةً إِلاَّ اتَّبَعَهَا فَضَرَبَهَا بِسَيْفِهِ فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا أَجْزَأَ أَحَدُهُمْ مَا أَجْزَأَ فُلاَنٌ فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَقَالُوا أَيُّنَا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ إِنْ كَانَ هَذَا مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ لأَتَّبِعَنَّهُ فَإِذَا أَسْرَعَ وَأَبْطَأَ كُنْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى جُرِحَ فَاسْتَعْجَلَ الْمَوْتَ فَوَضَعَ نِصَابَ سَيْفِهِ بِالأَرْضِ وَذُبَابَهُ بَيْنَ ثَدْيَيْهِ ثُمَّ تَحَامَلَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ فَجَاءَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ وَمَا ذَاكَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ فِيمَا يَبْدُو لِلنَّاسِ وَإِنَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فِيمَا يَبْدُو لِلنَّاسِ وَهْوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ  

bukhari:6607Saʿīd b. Abū Maryam > Abū Ghassān > Abū Ḥāzim > Sahl > a man from Aʿẓam al-Muslimīn Ghanāʾ

There was a man who fought most bravely of all the Muslims on behalf of the Muslims in a battle (Ghazwa) in the company of the Prophet. The Prophet ﷺ looked at him and said. "If anyone would like to see a man from the people of the Fire, let him look at this (brave man)." On that, a man from the People (Muslims) followed him, and he was in that state i.e., fighting fiercely against the pagans till he was wounded, and then he hastened to end his life by placing his sword between his breasts (and pressed it with great force) till it came out between his shoulders. Then the man (who was watching that person) went quickly to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "I testify that you are Messenger of Allah ﷺ!" The Prophet ﷺ asked him, "Why do you say that?" He said, "You said about so-and-so, 'If anyone would like to see a man from the people of the Fire, he should look at him.' He fought most bravely of all of us on behalf of the Muslims and I knew that he would not die as a Muslim (Martyr). So when he got wounded, he hastened to die and committed suicide." There-upon the Prophet ﷺ said, "A man may do the deeds of the people of the Fire while in fact he is one of the people of Paradise, and he may do the deeds of the people of Paradise while in fact he belongs to the people of Fire, and verily, (the rewards of) the deeds are decided by the last actions (deeds)".  

البخاري:٦٦٠٧حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو غَسَّانَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو حَازِمٍ عَنْ سَهْلٍ أَنَّ رَجُلاً مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ غَنَاءً

عَنِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي غَزْوَةٍ غَزَاهَا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَنَظَرَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا فَاتَّبَعَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ وَهْوَ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ مِنْ أَشَدِّ النَّاسِ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّى جُرِحَ فَاسْتَعْجَلَ الْمَوْتَ فَجَعَلَ ذُبَابَةَ سَيْفِهِ بَيْنَ ثَدْيَيْهِ حَتَّى خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْنِ كَتِفَيْهِ فَأَقْبَلَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مُسْرِعًا فَقَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ وَمَا ذَاكَ قَالَ قُلْتَ لِفُلاَنٍ مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِنَا غَنَاءً عَنِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ لاَ يَمُوتُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَلَمَّا جُرِحَ اسْتَعْجَلَ الْمَوْتَ فَقَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَعْمَلُ عَمَلَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَإِنَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَيَعْمَلُ عَمَلَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَإِنَّمَا الأَعْمَالُ بِالْخَوَاتِيمِ  

tabarani:5784Yaḥyá b. ʿUthmān > Saʿīd b. Maryam > Abū Ghassān > Abū Ḥāzim > Sahl b. Saʿd

There was a man who fought most bravely of all the Muslims on behalf of the Muslims in a battle (Ghazwa) in the company of the Prophet. The Prophet ﷺ looked at him and said. "If anyone would like to see a man from the people of the Fire, let him look at this (brave man)." On that, a man from the People (Muslims) followed him, and he was in that state i.e., fighting fiercely against the pagans till he was wounded, and then he hastened to end his life by placing his sword between his breasts (and pressed it with great force) till it came out between his shoulders. Then the man (who was watching that person) went quickly to the Prophet ﷺ and said, "I testify that you are Messenger of Allah ﷺ!" The Prophet ﷺ asked him, "Why do you say that?" He said, "You said about so-and-so, 'If anyone would like to see a man from the people of the Fire, he should look at him.' He fought most bravely of all of us on behalf of the Muslims and I knew that he would not die as a Muslim (Martyr). So when he got wounded, he hastened to die and committed suicide." There-upon the Prophet ﷺ said, "A man may do the deeds of the people of the Fire while in fact he is one of the people of Paradise, and he may do the deeds of the people of Paradise while in fact he belongs to the people of Fire, and verily, (the rewards of) the deeds are decided by the last actions (deeds)". (Using translation from Bukhārī 6607)  

الطبراني:٥٧٨٤حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ عُثْمَانَ ثنا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مَرْيَمَ ثنا أَبُو غَسَّانَ عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ

أَنَّ رَجُلًا كَانَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ غَنَاءً عَنِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي غَزْوَةٍ غَزَاهَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَنَظَرَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا» فَاتَّبَعَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ وَهُوَ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ مِنْ أَشَدِّ النَّاسِ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّى جُرِحَ فَاسْتَعْجَلَ الْمَوْتَ فَأَخَذَ ذُبَابَ سَيْفِهِ فَجَعَلَهُ بَيْنَ ثَدْيَيْهِ حَتَّى خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْنِ كَتِفَيْهِ فَأَقْبَلَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ مُسْرِعًا فَقَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «وَمَا ذَاكَ؟» قَالَ قُلْتَ «مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا» وَكَانَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِنَا غَنَاءً عَنِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّهُ لَا يَمُوتَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَلَمَّا جُرِحَ اسْتَعْجَلَ الْمَوْتَ فَقَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ «إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَعْمَلُ عَمَلَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَيَعْمَلُ بِعَمَلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَإِنَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالْخَوَاتِيمِ»  

suyuti:23-363bSahl b. Saʿd > a man
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:٢٣-٣٦٣b

" عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ أَنَّ رَجُلًا كَانَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الْمُسْلمينَ غَناءً عَنِ الْمُسْلِمينَ فِى غَزَاةٍ غزَاهَا مَعَ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ ، فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْه رَسُولُ الله ﷺ فَقَالَ: مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَن يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِن أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَليَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا، فَاتَّبَعَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ وَهُوَ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ منْ أَشَدِّ النَّاسِ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكينَ حَتَّى جُرِحَ فَاسْتَعْجَلَ الْمَوْتَ، فَجَعَلَ ذُبَابَةَ سَيْفِهِ بَيْنَ ثَدْيَيْهِ حَتَّى خَرَجَ مِنْ بَيْنِ كَتِفَيْهِ، فَأَقْبَلَ الرَّجُلُ الَّذِى كَانَ مَعَهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ الله ﷺ مُسْرِعًا، فَقَالَ: إِنِّى أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ : مَا ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ: قُلْتَ: مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا، وَكَانَ مِنْ أَعْظَمِنَا غَنَاءً عَنِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، فَقُلتُ: إِنَّهُ لاَ يَمُوتُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، فَلَمَّا جُرِح اسْتَعْجَلَ الْمَوْتَ فَقَتَلَ نَفْسَهُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ : إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَعْمَلُ عَمَلَ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ، وَيَعْمَل عَمَلَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِنَّمَا الأعْمَالُ بِالْخَوَاتِيم ".  

[كر] ابن عساكر في تاريخه