Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) related to us, two prophetic narrations one of which I have seen fulfilled and I am waiting for the fulfillment of the other. The Prophet (ﷺ) told us that the virtue of honesty descended in the roots of men's hearts (from Allah) and then they learned it from the Qur'an and then they learned it from the Sunna (the Prophet's traditions). The Prophet (ﷺ) further told us how that honesty will be taken away: He said: "Man will go to sleep during which honesty will be taken away from his heart and only its trace will remain in his heart like the trace of a dark spot; then man will go to sleep, during which honesty will decrease further still, so that its trace will resemble the trace of blister as when an ember is dropped on one's foot which would make it swell, and one would see it swollen but there would be nothing inside. People would be carrying out their trade but hardly will there be a trustworthy person. It will be said, 'in such-and-such tribe there is an honest man,' and later it will be said about some man, 'What a wise, polite and strong man he is!' Though he will not have faith equal even to a mustard seed in his heart." No doubt, there came upon me a time when I did not mind dealing (bargaining) with anyone of you, for if he was a Muslim his Islam would compel him to pay me what is due to me, and if he was a Christian, the Muslim official would compel him to pay me what is due to me, but today I do not deal except with such-and-such person.
Afflictions and the End of the World
Sahih al-Bukhari 7086
The Gradual Removal of Honesty
The Prophet (ﷺ) describes how honesty (amanah) is initially implanted in human hearts by divine decree, then reinforced through Qur'anic revelation and Prophetic tradition. This indicates that true honesty originates from Allah's mercy and is cultivated through Islamic teachings.
The removal of honesty occurs gradually through spiritual sleep - a metaphor for negligence in faith. The dark spot represents the initial weakening, while the blister symbolizes advanced deterioration where outward form remains but inner substance vanishes, much like faith without true conviction.
Signs of the Final Era
The narration foretells a time when trustworthiness becomes so rare that people will specifically point out the few remaining honest individuals. This indicates a major sign of approaching Qiyamah where moral decay permeates society.
The description of people praising others for worldly qualities like wisdom and strength while they lack even mustard-seed faith reveals how outward appearances will deceive people in the end times, and true iman will become scarce.
Historical Testimony
The companion's personal testimony confirms the prophecy's fulfillment, noting how in earlier times Muslims' faith and Christian subjects' accountability to Muslim rulers ensured honest dealings, while later he could only trust specific individuals.
This serves as both a warning about declining morality and encouragement to preserve trustworthiness as a distinguishing characteristic of true believers, especially as trials increase near the end of time.