The evidence from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah in "Sahih Muslim" regarding the three for whom Hellfire is kindled, and what occurred in the story of the hadith.

The Shaykh : The evidence for this is also well known in the authentic Sunnah. Among the most frightening and severe in warning the heart of the believer is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) in "Sahih Muslim." It states that one of them asked Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) to narrate to him the hadith of the three: the scholar, the fighter, and the wealthy man. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) prepared to narrate the hadith, but he could not because he burst into tears at the horror of what he recalled from the severe warning and severe accountability in the hadith for three categories who are, in general, among the best of people; yet they are being tormented. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) did not recover from his fainting until water was sprinkled on his face. He regained some of his energy and prepared to deliver his hadith, but soon he fainted a second time, and then a third time, until he gathered his composure and strength and began to recite the hadith. He said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
Who is this? This is one of the type about whom Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said in praising them: . This scholar who was thrown into the Fire was supposed to be among those scholars whom their Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He) raises to Him in degrees. But he was thrown into the Fire; why? Because he neglected the condition of righteous action mentioned at the end of the verse: . So he associated others with Allah in the knowledge he sought, which the servants and people sought; because he did not seek knowledge to escape ignorance, to correct his creed, to improve his worship, or to teach his brothers any of that which was his intention in seeking knowledge. Rather, it was so that people would say: So-and-so is a scholar; to take the front seats in gatherings, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: or he said: .

The questioner : And to compete.

The Shaykh : And only. Yes?

The questioner : .

The Shaykh, perhaps there is another narration: .
Or he sought knowledge so that people would have a good opinion of him, seek blessing from him, ask him for supplication, and kiss his hand, or perhaps both his hands sometimes, and sometimes his foot and both his feet; this is a matter observed today. All of this indicates that this type of scholars were not sincere in their knowledge for Allah. So their fate with Allah is that He will say to the guards of Hell: , and he will be thrown into the Fire.
And in the hadith is a reference to His saying: ; meaning: what you sought and desired with your knowledge, you have obtained; meaning: you have taken the reward in this world; so take your reward—meaning: your burden—in the Hereafter; . This is the first of the three. So it was fitting for Abu Hurayrah to faint from crying the first, second, and third times at the horror and the consequence of this scholar who did not make his knowledge sincere for Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
, also you have taken your reward; .
So these three are the first for whom the Fire is kindled on the Day of Resurrection; so this is a hadith among many hadiths that guide you to the fact that sincerity in righteous action for Allah is a condition that is necessary. If it is lacking, the action is invalid, and not only as we mentioned earlier is it invalid; rather, it turns into a burden for which one is tormented on the Day of Resurrection, as this explicit hadith indicates.
And among those hadiths is the hadith of Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: A man said: O Messenger of Allah, a man fights out of zeal; is he in the cause of Allah? He said: . He said: A man fights out of bravery; is he in the cause of Allah? He said: . He said: A man fights out of tribalism; is he in the cause of Allah? He said: . He said: Then who is in the cause of Allah? He said: . And so the hadiths are many, and I do not want to lengthen [the discussion] either; because we have to speak about righteous action: when is it righteous, assuming the presence of sincerity in it? For the sake of these hadiths, the scholars said: The action is not righteous unless it is sincere for the Face of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), with nothing associated with it.