*Riyad al-Salihin* (The Meadows of the Righteous) from the words of the Master of the Messengers, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Chapter: The Prohibition of Injustice and the Command to Redress Injustices.
On the authority of 'Adiyy ibn 'Amirah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
"Whomever among you we appoint to a post,
and he conceals from us a needle or anything greater,
it shall be an act of embezzlement (*ghulul*) that he will bring on the Day of Resurrection."
Thereupon, a dark-skinned man from the Ansar stood up—
as if I can still look at him—
and said: "O Messenger of Allah,
relieve me of my assignment!"
He asked: "And what is the matter with you?"
The man replied: "I heard you say such-and-such."
He said: "And I say it now:
Whomever we appoint to a post,
let him bring everything, whether little or much.
Whatever he is given from it, he may take,
and whatever he is forbidden from, he must refrain."
Narrated by Muslim.
"A needle or anything greater" (*mikhytan fa-ma fawqahu*):
That is, a needle or whatever is smaller than it.
"Embezzlement" (*ghululan*):
Meaning misappropriation of spoils of war by way of theft before their formal distribution.
Key lessons from the hadith:
In the hadith is a stern warning
and a definitive deterrence against embezzlement by an appointed official,
whether regarding small matters or large ones.
Thus, whoever is entrusted with the wealth of the Muslims
must safeguard it,
deliver it to its rightful recipients,
and never appropriate any part of it exclusively for himself.
The eager desire to avoid governance
and public office,
for they are prone to shortcoming.
Persons in authority
must know the sources from which public funds derive,
taking only that which is lawful,
and returning to its rightful owners whatever is not permissible to take.
The permissibility of describing a person by a physical trait for identification,
provided that it does not anger him.
For this reason, it was stated in the hadith:
"Thereupon, a dark-skinned man from the Ansar stood up."
The swift return of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) to the truth
once it had become clear to them.
On the authority of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
On the day of Khaybar,
a group of the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) came forward
and said:
"So-and-so is a martyr,
and so-and-so is a martyr,"
until they passed by a man
and said:
"So-and-so is a martyr."
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Nay!
Indeed, I have seen him in the Fire
on account of a cloak that he embezzled,"
or he said "an outer garment."
Narrated by Muslim.
"A group" (*nafar*):
A collective noun with no singular form from its own root,
applied to a group of fewer than ten men.
Key lessons from the hadith:
Misappropriating public funds by way of theft
is a grave sin.
The permissibility of applying the term "martyr" to one who died in the cause of Allah
and whose good deeds were evident to us,
whenever there exists Prophetic affirmation indicating so,
as was reported regarding 'Umar ibn al-Khattab,
'Uthman ibn 'Affan,
Talhah ibn 'Ubaydullah,
and Hamzah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with them).
Designating a specific individual as a martyr is impermissible in general,
because a true martyr is only known through divine revelation.
A prohibition against this has been transmitted from the salaf (early generations; may Allah be pleased with them).
For 'Umar delivered a sermon and said:
"Do not say during your military expeditions: 'So-and-so is a martyr,'
or 'So-and-so died a martyr,'
for he may have overloaded his mount with embezzled goods.
Indeed, do not say that!
Rather, say as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
'Whoever dies in the cause of Allah or is slain is a martyr.'"
Al-Bukhari established a chapter in the Book of Jihad in his *Sahih*:
"Chapter: It Is Not to Be Said That So-and-So Is a Martyr."
Being slain in the cause of Allah does not expiate the violated rights of others.
Allah's honoring of His Messenger (peace be upon him),
by granting him knowledge of the final outcomes of certain servants.
On the authority of Abu Qatadah al-Harith ibn Rib'i (may Allah be pleased with him):
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up among them
and reminded them that jihad in the cause of Allah
and belief in Allah are the best of deeds.
A man stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allah,
tell me: if I am killed in the cause of Allah,
will my sins be expiated for me?"
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to him:
"Yes, if you are killed in the cause of Allah
while being patient, seeking reward, advancing and not retreating."
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked:
"How did you say it?" The man replied: "Tell me: if I am killed in the cause of Allah,
will my sins be expiated for me?"
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied:
"Yes, while being patient, seeking reward, advancing and not retreating,
except for debt, for Jibril told me that."
Narrated by Muslim.
"Seeking reward" (*muhtasib*): meaning sincere, hoping for reward and recompense from Allah.
"Advancing" (*muqbil*): meaning not fleeing nor turning your back.
Key lessons from the hadith:
The leader urges his companions and reminds them of the virtues of deeds and the best among them,
so that they may strive eagerly for them,
and renews faith in their hearts from time to time.
The eager desire of the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to seek deeds that expiate sins.
Jihad in the cause of Allah to elevate His word and overcome His enemies
is among the greatest acts of worship and the most virtuous means of drawing near to Him.
The conditions of jihad are: patience over what befalls you in the cause of Allah,
sincerity therein seeking the Face of Allah,
and not fleeing on the day of battle.
Martyrdom in the cause of Allah expiates faults and sins.
Being slain in the cause of Allah does not expiate the violated rights of others
if one had the means to fulfill them yet failed to do so.
As for the one who was unable to free himself of them,
yet repented before his death and felt remorse,
Allah is his Guardian and will satisfy his claimant.
The permissibility of seeking clarification and repeating a statement
whenever there is an added benefit or clarification in doing so.
The Prophetic Sunnah is revelation from Allah,
but it is non-recited revelation.
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him),
that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"Do you know who the bankrupt person is?"
They replied: "Among us, the bankrupt person is the one who has neither dirhams nor goods."
He said: "The bankrupt person among my Ummah
is the one who comes on the Day of Resurrection with prayer, fasting, and zakat,
but comes having reviled this one,
slandered that one,
unlawfully consumed the wealth of this one,
shed the blood of that one,
and struck this one.
So this one will be given from his good deeds,
and that one from his good deeds.
And if his good deeds are exhausted before his liabilities are settled,
their sins will be taken and cast upon him,
and then he will be cast into the Fire."
Narrated by Muslim.
"Goods" (*mata'*):
Everything from which benefit is derived
and enjoyed of worldly possessions,
whether little or much.
"Reviled" (*shatama*): meaning insulted.
"Slandered" (*qadhafa*):
Meaning accused of adultery/fornication without clear proof.
"Shed" (*safaka*):
Meaning spilled and poured out.
"Exhausted" (*faniyat*):
Meaning nothing remained of them.
Key lessons from the hadith:
The intellect possesses concepts drawn from what it has comprehended and learned in this worldly life,
by which it weighs things and evaluates matters;
however, the Shari'ah has a clearer standard for defining them.
Therefore, Shari'ah terminologies are authoritative in understanding the intent of Allah and His Messenger.
True bankruptcy
is the loss of oneself and one's family on the Day of Resurrection.
An emphasis on desisting from injustice,
particularly devouring the rights of others,
and assaulting their wealth, their blood, and violating their honor through speech or action,
because that spoils the fruits of righteous deeds.
Allah's dealing with the creation
is established upon justice and truth.
Among the methods of teaching knowledge
is dialogue that sparks the listener's interest,
engages his attention, draws his focus,
and corrects his misconception.
On the authority of Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her),
that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"I am only a human being,
and you bring your disputes before me.
Perhaps some of you are more eloquent in presenting their argument than others,
so I judge in their favor according to what I hear.
Thus, whomever I grant a ruling in his favor that infringes upon the right of his brother,
I am merely assigning him a portion of the Fire."
Agreed upon.
"More eloquent" (*alhan*): meaning more articulate and knowledgeable in presenting his case.
"You bring your disputes before me" (*takhtasimun*): meaning you litigate before me so that I may judge between you.
"In presenting his argument" (*bi-hujjatihi*): meaning his claim.
"I assign him" (*aqta'u*): meaning I give him.
Key lessons from the hadith:
The Messenger (peace be upon him) is a human being like others;
he does not know the unseen, nor does he know what is in the hearts,
but revelation is sent down to him.
The judge decides between the two disputants
based upon the evident proofs and circumstantial evidence presented to him;
he judges according to the outward,
while Allah oversees the inner secrets.
It is obligatory upon the judge and ruler not to issue a judgment before hearing both disputants.
If a judge errs after due investigation and verification,
there is no sin upon him; rather, he is rewarded.
A judge's erroneous ruling does not make a lawful matter prohibited, nor an unlawful matter lawful.
Whoever has a ruling issued in his favor while knowing he is wrongful toward his brother,
it is impermissible for him to take it, because it is merely a portion of the Fire.
The judge and ruler remind litigants of Allah
and warn them of His punishment,
for anyone who commits injustice and wrongfully takes another's right.
On the authority of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
"A believer will continue to have ample room in his religion,
so long as he does not shed unlawful blood."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
"Ample room" means spiritual latitude and hope in the mercy of his Lord.
"Shed unlawful blood"
means killing a Muslim without just cause.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
Preserving human life is one of the essential objectives of the Prophetic mission.
Killing a soul unlawfully
is among the gravest of major sins.
On the authority of Khawlah bint 'Amir al-Ansariyyah,
who was the wife of Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with them both),
she said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
"Indeed, some people dispose of the property of Allah wrongfully;
for them is the Fire on the Day of Resurrection."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
"Dispose of wrongfully"
means misusing and misappropriating it unjustly.
"The property of Allah"
refers to public Muslim funds entrusted to state officials.
Among the benefits of the hadith:
The prohibition of mismanaging public Muslim funds
and spending them illicitly on whims and falsehood.
Whoever misuses people's wealth unlawfully
will be punished with the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.
Wealth is the lifeblood of society
and a foundation for the strength of the Ummah,
so it must be safeguarded.
Public funds of the Muslims
are relied upon to build defensive strength and conduct jihad,
provide vital civic amenities,
and spread sacred knowledge;
therefore, Islam attaches paramount importance to its protection.
Riyad al-Salihin.