فضائل الأعمال الصالحة
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I saw a man enjoying the pleasures of Paradise because he cut a tree from the road that was a source of inconvenience and harm to the Muslims." Another narration reads: "A man came across a tree branch in the middle of the road and said: 'By Allah, I will remove this branch from the path of the Muslims so that it does not harm them,' so he was admitted into Paradise." A third narration reads: "While a man was walking, he found a thorny branch on the road, so he moved it away from people's path. Allah appreciated his action and forgave his sins."
عن أبي هريرة -رضي الله عنه- مرفوعاً: «لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَجُلًا يَتَقَلَّبُ في الجنةِ في شَجَرَةٍ قَطَعَهَا مِنْ ظَهْرِ الطَّرِيقِ كَانتْ تُؤْذِي المسلمينَ». وفي رواية: «مَرَّ رَجُلٌ بِغُصْنِ شَجَرَةٍ عَلَى ظَهْرِ طَرِيقٍ، فقالَ: واللهِ لأُنَحِّيَنَّ هَذَا عَنِ المسلمينَ لَا يُؤْذِيهِمْ، فَأُدْخِلَ الجَنَّةَ». وفي رواية: «بينما رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي بِطَرِيقٍ وَجَدَ غُصْنَ شَوْكٍ عَلَى الطَّرِيقِ فَأَخَّرَهُ فَشَكَرَ اللهُ لهُ، فَغَفَرَ لهُ».
شرح الحديث :
These Hadīths clearly state the virtue of removing harm from the road, whether the harm is a harmful tree, a thorny branch, a stone causing other to stumble on, filth, a dead animal, or the like. Removing harmful things from the road is one of the branches of faith as stated in an authentic Hadīth. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that he saw a man moving around in Paradise and enjoying its pleasure because he removed a harmful tree from Muslims' road. An-Nawawi said: "He is enjoying the pleasures of Paradise because of removing the tree and taking it away from people's road." Al-Qāri said: "This urges Muslims to get rid of harmful things and remove it in any possible manner." The Hadīth also highlights the virtue of doing anything that benefits the Muslims and removes harm from them.