📖Sahih Muslim 2581
Abu Huraira reported:The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Do you know who is poor?” The Companions replied: “A poor man among us is one who has neither dirham nor wealth.” The Prophet ﷺ said: “The poor of my Ummah will be the one who comes on the Day of Resurrection with prayers, fasting, and zakat – but he also insulted others, slandered others, unlawfully consumed people’s wealth, shed blood, and beat others. His good deeds will be given to those he wronged. If his good deeds are not enough to repay his oppression, their sins will be loaded onto him, and he will be thrown into the Hellfire.”
What It Means:
The Prophet ﷺ is redefining poverty – not in terms of money, but in terms of spiritual bankruptcy, This man appears “religious” – he prays, fasts, and gives zakat. But his character is corrupt:
- He insults people.
- He spreads false accusations.
- He cheats and steals.
- He physically harms others.
- He destroys lives – with no remorse.
So on the Day of Judgment, his good deeds will be transferred to the victims he harmed. And when his good deeds run out – their sins will be dumped on him, That’s true poverty – to arrive with a full account of worship, only to lose it all due to a rotten character.
What We Learn Today:
This hadith is a warning for every person who hides behind worship while harming others.
Lessons for today:
- Religious rituals are not enough if your mouth and actions hurt people.
- You can’t oppress others and expect to walk into Paradise untouched.
- Your victims will line up on the Day of Judgment – and Allah will give them your good deeds as compensation.
People today pray and fast, but:
- Gossip non-stop,
- Accuse others of things they never did,
- Steal and cheat in business,
- Disrespect and mistreat family members,
- And think a few prayers will erase it all.
They’re fooling themselves, Worship without ethics = empty.
Related: Aren’t Most People in Paradise Poor?
Yes – the Prophet ﷺ clearly said:
📖Sahih al-Bukhari 6546
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “I looked into paradise and saw that the majority of its people were the poor, and I looked into the Fire and found that the majority of its people were women.
Why are the majority of the people in Paradise poor?
From the time of Adam to the final day, poor believers – those who had little but remained faithful – will outnumber the rich in Paradise. Their lack of material wealth often leads them to rely more on Allah, remain humble, and avoid arrogance, injustice, and pride that wealth can sometimes bring, They enter Paradise not because they were poor, but because they believed in Allah and His messengers and lived righteously without the distractions or responsibilities that wealth can bring.
It’s not only from the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ – these poor people are from all nations and prophets who followed the truth, whether in the time of Adam, Nuh, Musa, ‘Isa, or Muhammad ﷺ.
Why are the majority in Hell women?
The Prophet ﷺ did not say Muslim women – he referred to the general population of Hell. Entry to Paradise requires belief in the One God and His Messengers. Entry to Hell does not require disbelief – even believers can go there temporarily if they wrong others or commit serious sins.
Why Isn’t the Majority of Hell Men?
Majority are women” hadith refers to a general observation—focusing on behaviors in specific cultures and eras, It doesn’t mean men escape Hell. Other narrations warn that proud, arrogant, hypocritical men will also be condemned.
- From Adam to Muhammad ﷺ, most people followed idol worship, polytheism, or denied prophets.
- Only a few true believers existed in each era: e.g. Noah’s followers were very few.
- Islam teaches that only those who died as believers will enter Jannah:
📖Quran 4:124
“And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer – those will enter Paradise…”
Meaning: disbelievers – male or female – are destined to Hell regardless of good actions
📖Hadith Qudsi 6 – Narrated by Abu Hurairah/ Sahih Muslim 1905 a
The Prophet ﷺ said “The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be: A man who died a martyr, but did it to be called courageous, A man who studied religious knowledge, taught it, and recited the Qur’an, but only so people would call him a scholar or a good reciter, And a man who gave charity from his wealth, but only so people would call him generous, All of them will be dragged on their faces into Hellfire.”
This hadith explicitly targets Muslims who:
- Died in jihad,
- Studied and taught Islam,
- Recited Qur’an beautifully,
- Gave charity generously…
But their intention was to be praised by people, not to please Allah, this is a clear warning to Muslim men themselves that even the highest forms of worship will land them in Hell if their intentions are corrupted.
Quranic Context:
📖Quran 49:11
“Let not a people ridicule another people — perhaps they may be better than them… And do not insult one another or call each other by [offensive] nicknames…”
→ Verbal abuse is a serious sin in the sight of Allah.
📖Quran 104:1
“Woe to every slanderer and backbiter.”
→ A terrifying warning to those who gossip or harm others with words.
📖Quran 2:188
“Do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly or send it [in bribery] to the rulers in order to consume part of the wealth of others sinfully…”
→ Unlawful consumption of wealth leads to destruction.
📖Quran 25:69-70
“For those who kill unjustly, commit zina, or associate with Allah the punishment will be doubled… except for those who repent, believe, and do righteous deeds…”
→ There is hope only through sincere repentance.