Allah will not talk to three on the Day of Judgement, and nor will He purify them, and they will have a severe punishment – a man who has spare water with him in the desert and prevents it from a traveler, and a man who sells a man something after the ‘asr prayer and swears by Allah سبحانه وتعالى that he had paid such and such for it, so the man believes him (and pays him accordingly) even though it was not true and a man who pledges allegiance to an Imam for no reason other than his worldly purpose, and if he gains what he wants from him then he is loyal otherwise he is not.

Condemnation of those who support leadership for personal gain

ثَلاَثٌ لاَ يُكَلِّمُهُمُ اللَّهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ رَجُلٌ عَلَى فَضْلِ مَاءٍ بِالْفَلاَةِ يَمْنَعُهُ مِنِ ابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَرَجُلٌ بَايَعَ رَجُلاً بِسِلْعَةٍ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ فَحَلَفَ لَهُ بِاللَّهِ لأَخَذَهَا بِكَذَا وَكَذَا فَصَدَّقَهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى غَيْرِ ذَلِكَ وَرَجُلٌ بَايَعَ إِمَامًا لاَ يُبَايِعُهُ إِلاَّ لِدُنْيَا فَإِنْ أَعْطَاهُ مِنْهَا وَفَى وَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْطِهِ مِنْهَا لَمْ يَفِ

Allah will not talk to three on the Day of Judgement, and nor will He purify them, and they will have a severe punishment – a man who has spare water with him in the desert and prevents it from a traveler, and a man who sells a man something after the ‘asr prayer and swears by Allah سبحانه وتعالى that he had paid such and such for it, so the man believes him (and pays him accordingly) even though it was not true and a man who pledges allegiance to an Imam for no reason other than his worldly purpose, and if he gains what he wants from him then he is loyal otherwise he is not.

(Muslim/ Bukhari)

Commentary

a. The leadership is bestowed amongst the Muslims to those who will implement the laws of Allah سبحانه وتعالى for the sake of Allah سبحانه وتعالى upon those who will listen and obey for the sake of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.

b. The mentioning of the one who gives his pledge of allegiance to the Imam of the Muslims for the sake of personal gain is not just someone who will miss on the reward for what is mentioned in the previous point, but will be severely punished, withheld from being purified by Allah سبحانه وتعالى on the day that no one can escape from His wrath and enter His paradise without His mercy.

c. All three actions which are condemned are to do with transactions between people, and seeking worldly gain ahead of sincerity for the sake of Allah سبحانه وتعالى.