It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, said: "A believer is not stung twice (by something) out of one and the same hole." (1).

Amongst the lessons drawn from the above-mentioned Hadeeth (2):

1- An-Nawawi, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: "The reason behind such Hadeeth is that the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, captured Abu Ghurra, who was a poet, at the battle of Badr. Then the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, released him after promising him that he would not fight against him again nor satirize him. However, he (i.e. Abu Ghurra) returned to fight against and satirizing him. Then, the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, captured him again on the day of Uhud. He again tried to appeal to the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, for clemency with a similar promise, to which the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, replied that the believer is not bitten from the same hole twice, and ordered him to be executed. (3).

2- One who was harmed by a certain thing should avoid it in order not to be harmed by it again.

3- The believer should be very cautious about all of his matters and thus no one should deceive him twice. If one deceives him once and makes him fall in something bad, he has to beware of him so that he may not deceive him again. Actually, this includes what causes harms to one's religion and worldly life.

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(1)         Reported by Al-Bukhaari No. (83) and Muslim No. (7690).

(2)         Refer to Fat-h Al-Baari by Ibn Hajr (17/320).

(3)         Refer to Fat-h Al-Baari by Ibn Hajr (17/320) and Sharh An-Nawawi ala Muslim (9/381). 

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