Ubadah on what he pledged, and the three outcomes
A list of prohibitions, and then what happens after each one.
وَمَنْ أَصَابَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا فَعُوقِبَ فِيهِ فَهُوَ طَهُورُهُ وَمَنْ سَتَرَهُ اللَّهُ فَذَاكَ إِلَى اللَّهِ إِنْ شَاءَ عَذَّبَهُ وَإِنْ شَاءَ غَفَرَ لَهُ
Wa man aṣāba min dhālika shayʾan fa-ʿūqiba fīhi fa-huwa ṭahūruh. Wa man satarahu-Llāhu fa-dhāka ilā-Llāh, in shāʾa ʿadhdhabahu wa in shāʾa ghafara lah
Whoever does any of it and is punished for it, that is his purification. Whoever is covered by Allah, his affair is with Allah. If He wills He punishes him, and if He wills He forgives him.
Where this comes from
Ubadah gave his pledge in a small group. Whoever keeps it, his reward is with Allah. Whoever breaks it and pays for it here, the payment cleans it. And whoever breaks it and is never found out is left in a third category with no verdict attached.
The full narration
It was narrated that Abu Idris Al-Khawlani said:"I heard 'Ubadah bin As-Samit say: 'I pledged to the Messenger of Allah among a group of people, and he said: I accept your pledge that you will not associate anything with Allah, you will not steal, you will not have unlawful sexual relations, you will not kill you children, you will not utter slander, fabricating from between your hands and feet, and you will not disobey me when commanded with goodness. Whoever fulfills (this pledge), his reward will be with Allah, and whoever commits any of these actions and is punished for it, it will be purification for him. Whoever (commits any of these action then) Allah conceals him, it is up to Allah; if He wills He will forgive him, and if He wills, He will punish him
Source
Sunan an-Nasā'ī · 4178
- Abu Ghuddah: Sahih
- Al-Albani: Sahih
- Zubair Ali Zai: Hasan