4. Causing harm to Muslims.^[1]

(3) The Fish Bit Off His Thumb

Dear Islamic brothers, inflicting harm on others is such a severe sin that it incurs the wrath of Allah Almighty, and at times its punishment is given in this world.

Imam Muḥammad b. Aḥmad al-Dhahabī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه writes:

A saint once saw a man whose arm had been severed from the shoulder. The man was announcing, “Whoever sees me should never oppress anyone!” I asked him what happened and he said:

“My story is strange. I used to associate with criminals. One day, I snatched a fish from a fisherman and headed home. On the way, the fish bit my thumb. Somehow, I reached home and put the fish aside. The pain was so severe that I could not sleep the entire night.

“In the morning, I went to a doctor and showed him my injured hand. He said the thumb would have to be amputated, so I had it cut off. Later, one day I was struck on the hand and the old wound reopened. The pain became unbearable. I returned to the doctor, and he said the hand must be cut off, so I had it amputated. But then the pain spread throughout the entire arm. I was in extreme agony, not feeling a moment of ease. Eventually, I had to have my arm cut off; first up to the elbow, then up to the shoulder.

“People asked me how this suffering began, so I told them the incident with the fish. They said: ‘If you had gone to the fisherman at the very beginning, sought his forgiveness, and reconciled with him, perhaps your arm would not have been amputated. Even now, find him and seek his forgiveness before this affliction spreads to the rest of your body.’

“With great difficulty, I found the fisherman. I fell at his feet and begged for forgiveness. He asked in confusion, ‘Who are you?’ I said, ‘I am the one who snatched the fish from you.’ I told him the entire story