The Book of Miscellany
كتاب المقدمات
Chapter 24: Discharging the Trusts
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) foretold to us two Ahadith. I have seen one (being fulfilled), and I am waiting for the other. He (ﷺ) told us, "Amanah (the trust) descended in the innermost (root) of the hearts of men (that is, it was in their heart innately, by Fitrah, or pure human nature). Then the Qur'an was revealed and they learnt from the Quran and they learned from the Sunnah." Then the (Prophet (ﷺ)) told us about the removal of Amanah. He said, "The man would have some sleep, and Amanah would be taken away from his heart leaving the impression of a faint mark. He would again sleep, and Amanah 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 Prophet (ﷺ)) then took up a pebble and rolled it over his foot and said, "The people would enter into transactions with one another and hardly a person would be left who would return (things) entrusted to him (and there would look like an honest person) till it would be said: 'In such and such tribe there is a trustworthy man.' And they would also say about a person: 'How prudent he is! How handsome he is and how intelligent he is!' whereas in his heart there would be no grain of Faith." Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman (May Allah bepleased with him) added: I had a time when I did not care with whom amongst you I did business, I entered into a transaction, for if he were a Muslim, his Faith would compel him to discharge his obligation to me; and if he were a Christian or a Jew, his guardian (surety) would compel him to discharge his obligation to me. But today I would not enter into a transaction except with so-and-so.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
[Muslim].
When Az-Zubair, got ready to fight in the battle of Al- Jamal, he called me and said: "My son, whoever is killed today will be either a wrongdoer or a wronged one. I expect that I shall be the the wronged one today. I am much worried about my debt. Do you think that anything will be left over from our property after the payment of my debt? My son, sell our property and pay off my debt." Az-Zubair then willed one-third of that portion to his sons; namely 'Abdullah's sons. He said, "One-third of the one-third. If any property is left after the payment of debts, one-third (of the one-third of what is left is to be given to your sons." (Hisham, a subnarrator added: "Some of the sons of 'Abdullah were equal in age to the sons of Az-Zubair, e.g., Khubaib and Abbad. 'Abdullah had nine sons and nine daughters at that time)". (The narrator 'Abdullah added:) He kept on instructing me about his debts and then said: "My son, should you find yourself unable to pay any portion of my debt then beseech my Master for His help." By Allah, I did not understand what he meant and asked: "Father, who is your Master?" He said: "Allah." By Allah! Whenever I faced a difficulty in discharging any portion of his debt; I would pray: "O Master of Zubair, discharge his debt," and He discharged it. Zubair was martyred. He left no money, but he left certain lands, one of them in Al-Ghabah, eleven houses in Al-Madinah, two in Basrah, one in Kufah and one in Egypt. The cause of his indebtedness was that a person would come to him asking him to keep some money of his in trust for him. Zubair would refuse to accept it as a trust, fearing it might be lost, but would take it as a loan. He never accepted a governorship, or revenue office, or any public office. He fought along with Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthman (May Allah be pleased with them).'Abdullah added: I prepared a statement of his debts and they amounted to two million and two hundred thousand! Hakim bin Hizam met me and asked me: "Nephew, how much is due from my brother as debt?" I kept it as secret and said: "A hundred thousand." Hakim said: "By Allah! I do not think your assets are sufficient for the payment of these debts." I said: "What would you think if the amount were two million and two hundred thousand?" He said: "I do not think that you would be able to clear off the debts. If you find it difficult let me know."Az-Zubair (May Allah bepleased with him) had purchased the land in Al-Ghabah for a hundred and seventy thousand. 'Abdullah sold it for a million and six hundred thousand, and declared that whosoever had a claim against Az-Zubair (May Allah bepleased with him) should see him in Al-Ghabah. 'Abdullah bin Ja'far (May Allah bepleased with him) came to him and said: "Az- Zubair (May Allah bepleased with him) owed me four hundred thousand, but I would remit the debt if you wish." 'Abdullah (May Allah bepleased with him) said: "No." Ibn Ja'far said: ''If you would desire for postponement I would postpone the recovery of it." 'Abdullah said: "No." Ibn Ja'far then said: "In that case, measure out a plot for me." 'Abdullah marked out a plot. Thus he sold the land and discharged his father's debt. There remained out of the land four and a half shares. He then visited Mu'awiyah who had with him at the time 'Amr bin 'Uthman, Al-Mundhir bin Az-Zubair and Ibn Zam'ah (May Allah bepleased with them). Mu'awiyah (May Allah bepleased with him) said: "What price did you put on the land in Al-Ghabah?" He said: "One hundred thousand for a each share. Mu'awiyah inquired: "How much of it is left?" 'Abdullah said: "Four and a half shares." Al-Mundhir bin Az-Zubair said: "I will buy one share for a hundred thousand". 'Amr bin 'Uthman said: "I will buy one share for a hundred thousand". Ibn Zam'ah said: "I will buy one share for a hundred thousand." Then Mu'awiyah asked: "How much of it is now left?" 'Abdullah said: "One and a half share. Mu'awiyah said: "I will take it for one hundred and fifty thousand." Later 'Abdullah bin Ja'far sold his share to Mu'awiyah for six hundred thousand.When 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair (May Allah bepleased with him) finished the debts, the heirs of Az-Zubair (May Allah bepleased with him) asked him to distribute the inheritance among them. He said: "I will not do that until I announce during four successive Hajj seasons: 'Let he who has a claim against Az-Zubair come forward and we shall discharge it."' He made this declaration on four Hajj seasons and then distributed the inheritance among the heirs of Az-Zubair (May Allah bepleased with him) according to his will. Az- Zubair (May Allah bepleased with him) had four wives. Each of them received a million and two hundred thousand. Thus Az-Zubair's total property was amounted to fifty million and two hundred thousand.[Al-Bukhari]
Chapter 25: Unlawfulness of Oppression and Restoring Others Rights
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Beware of injustice, for oppression will be darkness on the Day of Resurrection; and beware of stinginess because it doomed those who were before you. It incited them to shed blood and treat the unlawful as lawful."[Muslim]
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "On the Resurrection Day, the rights will be paid to those to whom they are due so much so that a hornless sheep will be retaliated for by punishing the horned sheep which broke its horns".[Muslim].
[Al-Bukhari].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whoever usurps unlawfully even a hand span of land a collar measuring seven times (this) land will be placed around his neck on the Day of Resurrection".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Verily, Allah gives respite to the oppressor. But when He seizes him, He does not let him escape." Then he (ﷺ)) recited, "Such is the Seizure of your Rubb when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong. Verily, His Seizure is painful (and) severe". (11:102).[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
"You will go to the people of the Book. First call them to testify that 'there is no true god except Allah, that I am (Muhammad (ﷺ)) the Messenger of Allah.' If they obey you, tell them that Allah has enjoined upon them five Salat (prayers) during the day and night; and if they obey you, inform them that Allah has made Zakat obligatory upon them; that it should be collected from their rich and distributed among their poor; and if they obey you refrain from picking up (as a share of Zakat) the best of their wealth. Beware of the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Prophet (ﷺ) employed a man from the tribe of Al-Azd named Ibn Lutbiyyah as collector of Zakat. When the employee returned (with the collections) he said: "(O Prophet (ﷺ)!) This is for you and this is mine because it was presented to me as gift." Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) rose to the pulpit and praised Allah and extolled Him. Then he said, "I employ a man to do a job and he comes and says: 'This is for you and this has been presented to me as gift'? Why did he not remain in the house of his father or the house of his mother and see whether gifts will be given to him or not? By Allah in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, if any one of you took anything wrongfully, he will bring it on the Day of Resurrection, carrying it on (his back), I will not recognize anyone of you, on the Day of Resurrection with a grunting camel, or a bellowing cow, or a bleating ewe." Then he raised his hands till we could see the whiteness of his armpits. Then he said thrice, ''O Allah ! have I conveyed (Your Commandments)".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He who has done a wrong affecting his brother's honour or anything else, let him ask his forgiveness today before the time (i.e., the Day of Resurrection) when he will have neither a dinar nor a dirham. If he has done some good deeds, a portion equal to his wrong doings will be subtracted from them; but if he has no good deeds, he will be burdened with the evil deeds of the one he had wronged in the same proportion".[Al-Bukhari].
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hands the Muslims are safe; and a Muhajir (Emigrant) is the one who refrains from what Allah has forbidden".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
A man named Kirkirah, who was in charge of the personal effects of Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed away and the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He is in the (Hell) Fire." Some people went to his house looking for its cause and found there a cloak that he had stolen. [Al-Bukhari]
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Time has completed its cycle and has come to the state of the day when Allah created the heavens and the earth. The year consists of twelve months of which four are inviolable; three of them consecutive - Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram and Rajab, the month of Mudar (tribe), which comes between Jumada and Sha'ban. What month is this?" We said, "Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) know better". The Prophet (ﷺ) remained silent for some time until we thought that he would give it a name other than its real name. Then asked, "Is it not (the month of) Dhul-Hijjah?". We replied in the affirmative. He asked, "Which city is this?". We replied: "Allah and His Messenger know better". He remained silent until we thought that he would give it another name. He (ﷺ) asked, "Is it not Al-Baldah (Makkah)?" We said: "Yes". He (ﷺ) asked, "What day is this?". We said: "Allah and His Messenger know better." He (ﷺ) remained silent until we thought that he would give it another name. He asked, "Is it not the day of An-Nahr (the sacrifice)?". We replied in the affirmative. Thereupon he said, "Your blood, your property and your honour are inviolable to you all like the inviolablity of this day of yours, in this city of yours and in this month of yours. You will soon meet your Rubb and He will ask you about your deeds. So do not turn to disbelief after me by striking the necks of one another. Behold! Let him who is present here convey (this message ) to him who is absent; for many a person to whom a message is conveyed has more retentive memory than the one who hears it." He (ﷺ) again said, "Have I conveyed the message to you? Behold! Have I conveyed the Commandments (of Allah) to you." We submitted: "Yes". He then said, "O Allah, bear witness (to this)".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah decrees the (Hell) Fire and debars Jannah for the one who usurps the rights of a believer by taking a false oath." One man asked: "O Messenger of Allah! Even if it should be for an insignificant thing?" He said, "Even if it be a stick of the Arak tree (i.e., the tree from which Miswak sticks are taken)".[Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Whosoever among you is appointed by us to a position and he conceals from us even a needle or less, it will amount to misappropriation and he will be called upon to restore it on the Day of Resurrection". ('Adi bin 'Umairah added:) A black man from the Ansar stood up - I can see him still - and said: "O Messenger of Allah, take back from me your assignment." He (the Prophet (ﷺ)) said, "What has happened to you?" The man replied: "I have heard you saying such and such." He (ﷺ) said, "I say that even now: Whosoever from you is appointed by us to a position, he should render an account of everything, big or small, and whatever he is given therefrom, he should take and he should desist from taking what is unlawful".[Muslim].
On the day (of the battle) of Khaibar, some Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) came and remarked: "So-and-so is a martyr and so-and-so is a martyr". When they came to a man about whom they said: "So-and-so is a martyr," the Prophet (ﷺ) declared, "No. I have seen him in Hell for a mantle (or cloak) which he has stolen".[Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Faith in Allah and striving in His Cause (Jihad) are the deeds of highest merit." A man stood up said: "O Messenger of Allah! Tell me if I am killed in the Cause of Allah, will all my sins be forgiven?" He (ﷺ) replied, "Yes, if you are killed in the Cause of Allah while you are patient, hopeful of your reward and marching forward not retreating." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Repeat what you have said." The man said: "Tell me if I am killed in the Cause of Allah, will all my sins be remitted?". He replied, "Yes, if you are martyred while you are patient, hopeful of your reward and march forward without retreating, unless, if you owe any debt, that will not be remitted. Angel Jibril told me that".[Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Do you know who is the bankrupt?" They said: "The bankrupt among us is one who has neither money with him nor any property". He said, "The real bankrupt of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with Salat, Saum and Sadaqah (charity), (but he will find himself bankrupt on that day as he will have exhausted the good deeds) because he reviled others, brought calumny against others, unlawfully devoured the wealth of others, shed the blood of others and beat others; so his good deeds would be credited to the account of those (who suffered at his hand). If his good deeds fall short to clear the account, their sins would be entered in his account and he would be thrown in the (Hell) Fire".[Muslim].
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Verily, I am only a human and the claimants bring to me (their disputes); perhaps some of them are more eloquent than others. I judge according to what I hear from them). So, he whom I, by my judgment, (give the undue share) out of the right of a Muslim, I in fact give him a portion of (Hell) Fire".[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].