Save your Neck from THE Punishment !

The Prophet (saws) said: “…Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin.” [Muslim]

The Prophet (saws) said: “All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves, thereby setting themselves free or destroying themselves.”

Allah says:

"And (by) the soul and He who proportioned it. And inspired it (with discernment of) its wickedness and its righteousness, He has succeeded who purifies it, And he has failed who instills it (with corruption)."

[Ash-Shams:7-10]

The person who purifies himself through obeying Allah will be prosperous and the person who corrupts himself by disobeying him is a failure. Acts of worship purify the soul while sins corrupt it.

The Hadith indicates that each person may save or ruin himself. The person who obeys Allah has sold himself to Allah and he has set his soul free from the torment of the Hell. The person who disobeys Allah destroys himself by committing sins which cause Allah’s wrath and punishment.

Allah says:

"Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties (in exchange) for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah , so they kill and are killed. (It is) a true promise (binding) upon Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Qur’an. And who is truer to his covenant than Allah? So rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted. And it is that which is the great attainment."

[At-Tawbah:111]

Allah also says:

"And of the people is he who sells himself, seeking means to the approval of Allah . And Allah is kind to (His) servants."

[Al-Baqarah:207]

Abu Hurayrah reported, “When Allah revealed the Verse:

"And warn, (O Muhammad), your closest kindred." [Ash-Shu’ara:214]

Allah’s Messenger (saws) got up and said: “O Quraish people! (or he said a similar word) Buy yourselves! I cannot save you from Allah (if you disobey Him).

O Bani Abu Manaf! I cannot save you from Allah (if you disobey Him). O `Abbas! The son of `Abdul Muttalib!

I cannot save you from Allah (if you disobey Him) O Safiya, (the aunt of Allah’s Messenger (saws)) I cannot save you from Allah (if you disobey Him).

O Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad ! Ask what you wish from my property, but I cannot save you from Allah (if you disobey Him)."

[al-Bukhari]

Some of the Salaf bought themselves from Allah with their money.

Habib bin Mohammad gave away all of his money in charity.

Khalid at-Tahhān gave in charity an amount of silver equaling three or four times his weight.

Some like ‘Amr Ibn ‘Utbah, exerted the utmost effort in performing good deeds, saying: “I am just trying to save my soul.”

al-Hassan said: “O son of Adam, you come and go seeking profit. Take care of yourself. You will never win just like that.”

Abu Bakr Ibn ‘Ayyâsh said: “Once when I was a youth, a man said to me, ‘Save your neck from the punishment of the hereafter as much as you can. The prisoner of the Hereafter will never be released.”

Abu Bakr Ibn ‘Ayyâsh said: “I have never forgotten his words.”

Muhammad Ibn al-Hanafiyyah said: “Allah made Paradise the price of yourselves. Never sell them for other than Paradise.”

[Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali’s Jamia Uloom Wal-Hikam]