The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would always check on his companions (may Allah be pleased with them), especially with regard to their acts of worship, in order to teach them and advise them. In this hadith, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) fell behind his companions on a journey, as he would usually travel behind them so as to urge those who had fallen behind to keep up, and to be with those who were physically weak. When the time for prayer came, they would halt to pray, then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would come and lead them in prayer. They delayed the prayer from the beginning of its time, hoping that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would catch up with them and pray with them. When not much time was left for the prayer, they hastened to do wudu’, and because they were in such a hurry, they did not do it properly and did not make the water reach every spot of the parts that were to be washed. They washed their feet too quickly, to the extent that it looked as if they were just wiping them. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) caught up with them when they were doing that, so he rebuked them for what he saw them doing, and called out in a loud voice so that everyone could hear, “Woe to the heels from the Fire!” This is a stern warning for the one who does not wash properly the parts that are to be washed in wudu’, and it is urging them to do it properly and perfectly, giving each part its due share of the water. “Woe (wayl)” is a word that signifies punishment and doom. The heel is the part of the foot that touches the ground and extends from the back of the foot to the place where a sandal strap is tied (around the ankle). The heels are singled out for mention because that is the spot where water is least likely to reach when one is not paying attention. This hadith indicates that one should teach and advise the one who is ignorant. It indicates that one of the basic guidelines when teaching in Islam is to repeat a sentence two or three times so that the seeker of knowledge will understand it. It also indicates that the knowledgeable person may denounce what he sees of people neglecting of obligatory duties and Sunnahs, and he may speak harshly and raise his voice when denouncing that. The hadith also indicates that it is encouraged to check the places that water does not usually reach when doing wudu’, such as the heels, and warn the one who does not do wudu’ properly. It also indicates that the body may be punished; this is the view of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama‘ah..