/ There is no one who bears witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, sincerely from his heart, except that Allah will make him forbidden to Hellfire

There is no one who bears witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, sincerely from his heart, except that Allah will make him forbidden to Hellfire

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: As the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was riding a mount with Mu‘ādh behind him, he said: "O Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal!" He replied: "Here I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah." He again said: "O Mu‘ādh!" Mu‘ādh replied: "Here I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah." This was said three times. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no one who bears witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger, sincerely from his heart, except that Allah will make him forbidden to Hellfire." He said: "O Messenger of Allah, should I not inform the people of that so that they may rejoice?" He replied: "Then they would rely on this alone." Mu‘ādh narrated this Hadīth at the time of his death to avoid the sin of concealing knowledge.
Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim

Explanation

Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) was riding on a mount behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), who called him: O Mu‘ādh! He repeated the call three times to show the significance of what he was about to say. Meanwhile, Mu‘ādh was replying: "Here I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah." That's I am answering your call, O Messenger of Allah, and seek happiness in answering you. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him that if anyone bears witness that there is no god but Allah - which means that none is truly worthy of worship except Allah - and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, sincerely from his heart, not lying, and then he dies in this state, Allah will make him forbidden to Hellfire. Mu‘ādh (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) whether he could tell people about that so that they would rejoice and feel hopeful. But the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) feared that they might solely rely upon that and their good deeds might decrease. So, Mu‘ādh did not narrate this Hadīth to anyone, except at the time of his death, fearing that he would incur the sin of concealing knowledge.

Hadeeth benefits

  1. The Hadīth highlights the Prophet's humility, as he made Mu‘ādh ride behind him on his mount.
  2. It shows the Prophet's approach of teaching, as he repeated the call to Mu‘ādh to draw his attention to what he was going to say.
  3. Among the conditions of the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, is to say it with sincerity and certitude, without lying or doubt.
  4. The people of monotheistic belief will not abide in Hellfire eternally. If they enter it on account of their sins, they will be brought out of it after they are purified.
  5. The Hadīth shows the merit of the two testimonies if one says them with sincerity.
  6. It is permissible to refrain from narrating a certain Hadīth under some circumstances when its narration leads to some evil.