The Book of Faith

كتاب الإيمان

Chapter 63: Warning of the Fire for the one who swears a false oath in order to unlawfully take the right of another muslim

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Umama that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed

He who appropriated the right of a Muslim by (swearing a false) oath, Allah would make Hell-fire necessary for him and would declare Paradise forbidden for him. A person said to him: Messenger of Allah, even if it is something insignificant? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: (Yes) even if it is the twig of the arak tree.

This hadith has been transmitted by another chain of narrators

Abu Bakr b. Abi Shaiba, Ishaq b. Ibrahim, Harun b. Abdullah, Abi Usama, Walid b. Kathir, Muhammad b. Ka'b, his brother Abdullah b. Ka'b and Abi Usama.

It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah (b. Umar) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed

He who perjured with a view to appropriating the property of a Muslim, and he is in fact a liar and would meet Allah in a state that He would be angry with him. He (the narrator) said: There came Ash'ath b. Qais and said (to the people): What does Abu Abdur-Rahman (the Kunya of Abdullah b. Umar) narrate to you? They replied: So and so. Upon this he remarked: Abu Abdur-Rahman told the truth. This (command) has been revealed in my case. There was a piece of land in Yemen over which I and another person had a claim. I brought the dispute with him to the Messenger of Allah (to decide) He (the Holy Prophet) said: Can you produce an evidence (in your support)? I said: No. He (the Holy Prophet) observed: (Then the decision would be made) on his oath. I said: He would readily take an oath. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) remarked: He who perjured for appropriating the wealth of a Muslim, whereas he is a liar, would meet Allah while He would be angry with him. This verse was then revealed:" Verily those who barter Allah's covenant and their oaths at a small price..." (iii 77).

It is narrated on the authority of Abdullah that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying

He who took an oath in order to entitle himself (to the possession) of a property, whereas he is a liar, would meet Allah in a state that He would be very much angry with him. Then the remaining part of the hadith was narrated as transmitted by A'mash but with the exception of these words: There was a dispute between me and another person in regard to a well. We referred this dispute to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Upon this he remarked: Either (you should produce) two witnesses (to support your contention) or his oath (would be accepted as valid).

Ibn Mas'ud says

I heard the Messenger of Allah observing: He who took an oath on the property of a Muslim without legitimate right would meet Allah and He would be angry, with him. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in support of his contention recited the verse:" Verily those who barter Allah's covenant and their oaths at a small price.

It is narrated on the authority of Wa'il that there came a person from Hadramaut and another one from Kinda to the Apostle (ﷺ). One who had come from Hadramaut said

Messenger of Allah, only this man has appropriated my land which belonged to my father. The one who had came from Kinda contended. This is my land and is in my possession: I cultivate it. There is no right for him in it. The Messenger of Allah said to the Hadramite: Have you any evidence (to support you)? He replied in the negative. He (the Messenger of Allah) said: Then your case is to be decided on his oath. He (the Hadramite) said: Messenger of Allah, he is a liar and cares not what he swears and has no regard for anything. Upon this he (the Messenger of Allah) remarked: For you then there is no other help to it. He (the man from Kinda) set out to take an oath. When he turned his back the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed: If he took an oath on his property with a view to usurping it, he would certainly meet his Lord in a state that He would turn away from him.

Wa'il reported it on the authority of his father Hujr

I was with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that two men came there disputing over a piece of land. One of them said: Messenger of Allah, this man appropriated my land without justification in the days of ignorance. The (claimant) was Imru'l-Qais b. 'Abis al-Kindi and his opponent was Rabi'a b. 'Iban He (the Holy Prophet) said (to the claimant): Have you evidence (to substantiate your claim)? He replied: I have no evidence. Upon this he (the Messenger of Allah) remarked: Then his (that is of the defendant) is the oath. He (the claimant) said: In this case he (the defendant) would appropriate this (the property). He (the Holy Prophet) said: There is than no other way left for you but this. He (the narrator) said: When he (the defendant) stood up to take oath, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: He who appropriated the land wrongfully would meet Allah in a state that He would be angry with him. Ishaq in his narration mentions Rabi'a b. 'Aidan (instead of Rabi'a b. 'Ibdan).

Chapter 64: The evidence that the blood of one who aims to seize other people's wealth without right may be shed, if he is killed he will be in the fire, and the one who is killed defending his property is a martyr

Abu Huraira reported

A person came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, what do you think if a man comes to me in order to appropriate my possession? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Don't surrender your possession to him. He (the inquirer) said: If he fights me? He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Then fight (with him). He (the inquirer) again said: What do you think if I am killed? He (the Holy Prophet) observed: You would be a martyr. He (the inquirer) said: What do you think of him (Messenger of Allah) If I kill him. He (the Holy Prophet) said: he would be in the Fire.

It is narrated on the authority of Thabit, that when 'Abdullah b. 'Amr and 'Anbasa b. Abi Sufyan were about to fight against each other, Khalid b. 'As rode to 'Abdullah b. 'Amr and persuaded him (not to do so). Upon this Abdullah b. 'Amr said

Are you not aware that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had observed:" He who died in protecting his property is a martyr."

This hadith has been narrated by Muhammad b. Hatim, Muhammad b. Bakr, Ahmad b. 'Uthman Naufali, Abu 'Asim, Ibn Juraij.

Chapter 65: One in charge of a matter, who cheats his subjects, deserves the fire

Hasan reported

'Ubaidullah b. Ziyad paid a visit to Ma'qil b. Yasar Muzani in his illness of which he (later on) died. (At this juncture) Ma'qil said: I am going to narrate to you a hadith which I have heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and which I would not have transmitted if I knew that I would survive. Verily I have heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: There is none amongst the bondsmen who was entrusted with the affairs of his subjects and he died in such a state that he was dishonest in his dealings with those over whom he ruled except that Paradise is forbidden for him.

Hasan reported

Ubaidullah b. Ziyad went to see Ma'qil b. Yasir and he was ailing. He ('Ubaidullah) inquired (about his health) to which he (Ma'qil) replied: I am narrating to you a hadith which I avoided narrating to you (before). Verily the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed: Allah does not entrust to his bondsman the responsibility of managing the affairs of his subjects and he dies as a dishonest (ruler) but Paradise is forbidden by Allah for such a (ruler). He (Ibn Ziyad) said: Why did you not narrate it to me before this day? He replied: I (in fact) did not narrate it to you as it was not (fit) for me to narrate that to you.

Hasan reported

We were with Ma'qil b. Yasar inquiring about his health that Ubaidullah b. Ziyad came there. Ma'qil said to him: Verily I am going to narrate to you a hadith which I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Then he narrated the hadith like those two (mentioned above).

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Malih that Ubaidullah b. Ziyad visited Ma'qil b. Yasar in his illness. Ma'qil said to him

I am narrating to you a hadith which I would have never narrated to you had I not been in death-bed. I heard Allah's apostle (ﷺ) say: A ruler who has been entrusted with the affairs of the Muslims but he makes no endeavors ( for the material and moral uplift) and does not sincerely mean (their welfare) would not enter Paradise along with them.

Chapter 66: The disappearance of honesty and faith from some hearts and the appearance of fitnah in some hearts

Hudhaifa reported

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) narrated to us two ahadith. I have seen one (crystallized into reality), and I am waiting for the other. He told us: Trustworthiness descended in the innermost (root) of the hearts of people. Then the Qur'an was revealed and they learnt from the Qur'an and they learnt from the Sunnah. Then he (the Holy Prophet) told us about the removal of trustworthiness. He said: The man would have a wink of sleep and trustworthiness would be taken away from his heart leaving the impression of a faint mark. He would again sleep and trustworthiness would be taken away from his heart leaving an impression of a blister, as if you rolled down an ember on your foot and it was vesicled. He would see a swelling having nothing in it. He (the Holy Prophet) then took up a pebble and rolled it down over his foot and (said): The people would enter into transactions amongst one another and hardly a person would be left who would return (things) entrusted to him. (And there would be so much paucity of honest persons) till it would be said: There in such a such tribe is a trustworthy man. And they would also say about a person: How prudent he is, how broad-minded he is and how intelligent he is, whereas in his heart there would not be faith even to the weight of a mustard seed. I have passed through a time in which I did not care with whom amongst you I entered into a transaction, for if he were a Muslim his faith would compel him to discharge his obligations to me and it he were a Christian or a Jew, the ruler would compel him to discharge his obligations to me. But today I would not enter into a transaction with you except so and so.

This hadith has been transmitted by another chain of transmitters

Ibn Numair, Waki', Ishaq b. Ibrahim, 'Isa b. Yunus on the authority of A'mash.

Chapter 67: Clarifying that Islam started as something strange, and will revert to being something strange, and it will retreat between the two Masajid

It is narrated on the authority of Hudhaifa

We were sitting in the company of Umar and he said: Who amongst you has heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) talking about the turmoil? Some people said: It is we who heard it. Upon this be remarked: Perhaps by turmoil you presume the unrest of man in regard to his household or neighbour, they replied: Yes. He ('Umar) observed: Such (an unrest) would be done away with by prayer, fasting and charity. But who amongst you has heard from the Apostle (ﷺ) describing that turmoil which would come like the wave of the ocean. Hudhaifa said: The people hushed into silence, I replied: It is I. He ('Umar) said: Ye, well, your father was also very pious. Hudhaifa said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be, upon him ) observing: Temptations will be presented to men's hearts as reed mat is woven stick by stick and any heart which is impregnated by them will have a black mark put into it, but any heart which rejects them will have a white mark put in it. The result is that there will become two types of hearts: one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by any turmoil or temptation, so long as the heavens and the earth endure; and the other black and dust-coloured like a vessel which is upset, not recognizing what is good or rejecting what is abominable, but being impregnated with passion. Hudhaifa said: I narrated to him ('Umar): There is between you and that (turmoil) a closed door, but there is every likelihood of its being broken. 'Umar said: Would it be broken? You have, been rendered fatherless. Had it been opened, it would have been perhaps closed also. I said: No, it would be broken, and I narrated to him: Verily that door implies a person who would be killed or die. There is no mistake in this hadith. Abu Khalid narrated: I said to Sa'd, O Abu Malik, what do you mean by the term" Aswad Murbadda"? He replied: High degree of whiteness in blackness. I said: What is meant by" Alkoozu Mujakhiyyan"? He replied: A vessel turned upside down.

It is narrated on the authority of Rib'i (b. Hirash). When Hudhaifa came from 'Umar he sat down to narrate to us and said

Verily yesterday when I was sitting with the Commander of the believers he asked his companions: When amongst you retains in his memory the utterance of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with regard to the turmoil? -and he cited the hadith like the hadith narrated on the authority of Abu Khalid, but he did not mention the exposition of his words (Murbaddan) and (Mujakhiyyan).

It is transmitted by Rib'i b. Hirash. who narrated it on the authority of Hudhaifa that verily 'Umar said

Who would narrate to us or who amongst you would narrate to us (and Hudhaifa was one amongst them) what the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had said about the turmoil? Hudhaifa said: I will, and recited the hadith like that transmitted by Abu Malik on the authority of Rib'i and he observed in connection with this hadith that Hudhaifa remarked: I am narrating to you a hadith and it has no mistake, and said: That it is transmitted from he Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said

Islam initiated as something strange, and it would revert to its (old position) of being strange. so good tidings for the stranger.