Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (ra): Ali bin Abi Talib sent a piece of gold, not yet taken out of its ore, in a tanned leather container to Allah's Messenger (saw). Allah's Messenger (saw) distributed that amongst four persons: Uyainah bin Badr, Aqra bin Habis, Zaid Al-Khail and the fourth was either Alqamah or Amir bin At-Tufail. On that, one of his companions said, "We are more deserving of this (gold) than these (persons)." When that news reached the Prophet (saw), he said, "Don't you trust me though I am the trustworthy man of the One in the heavens, and I receive the news of heavens (i.e Divine Revelation) both in the morning and in the evening?" There got up a man with sunken eyes, raised cheek bones, raised forehead, a thick beard, a shaven head and a waist-sheet that was tucked up and he said, "O Allah's Messenger! Be afraid of Allah." The Prophet (saw) said, "Woe to you! Am I not of all the people of the earth the most entitled to fear Allah?" Then that man went away. Khalid bin Al-Walid said, "O Allah's Messenger! Shall I chop his neck off?" The Prophet (saw) said, "No, may be he offers prayers." Khalid said, "Numerous are those who offer prayers and say by their tongues (i.e. mouths) what is not in their hearts." Allah's Messenger (saw) said, "I have not been ordered (by Allah) to search the hearts of the people or cut open their bellies." Then the Prophet (saw) looked at him (i.e. that man) while the latter was going away and said, "From the offspring of this (man) there will come out (people) who will recite the Quran continuously and elegantly but it will not exceed their throats. (They will neither understand it nor act upon it). They would go out of the religion (i.e. discard Islam) as an arrow goes out through a game's body." I think he also said, "If I should be present at their time, I would kill them as the nations of Thamud were killed." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 5, Hadith No. 638) "The Noble Quran - English translation of the means and commentary by Dr Muhammad Taqi-ud-dn Al-Hilali and Dr Muhammad Muhsin Khan" -- Imran Mob:+44 (0) 7713 746 900