from the Prophet ﷺ who said: "Signs of the hypocrite is three: (1) when he speaks, he lies; (2) when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and (3) when he is entrusted, he betrays."

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «آيَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ ثَلاَثٌ: (١) إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، (٢) وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ، (٣) وَإِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَانَ».

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told us two narrations: I have seen one of them, and I am waiting for the other.

He told us: (1) “Trustworthiness was sent down into the depths of peoples hearts; then they learned it from the Quran, then they learned it from the Sunnah.” 

And then he told us about its being taken away. He said: (2) “A man will sleep a while, and trustworthiness will be taken from his heart, leaving its trace like the slight marks. Then he will sleep again, and it will be taken away, and its trace will remain like a callus you develop on your foot and it blisters: you see it raised up, yet there is nothing inside. Then people will come to trade with one another, and hardly anyone will fulfill the trust, until it is said: ‘Among the tribe of so-and-so there is a trustworthy man.’ And it will be said of a man: ‘How intelligent is he! How refined is he! How strong and capable is he!’ while there is not in his heart even the weight of a mustard seed of faith.”

There was a time that passed over me when I did not care which of you I traded with: if he was a Muslim, Islam would bring him back to me, and if he was a Christian, his official would bring him back to me. But as for today, I would not trade except with so-and-so and so-and-so.

حَدَّثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَدِيثَيْنِ، رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَهُمَا، وَأَنَا أَنْتَظِرُ الآخَرَ. 

حَدَّثَنَا: (١) «أَنَّ الْأَمَانَةَ نَزَلَتْ فِي جَذْرِ قُلُوبِ الرِّجَالِ، ثُمَّ عَلِمُوا مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ، ثُمَّ عَلِمُوا مِنَ السُّنَّةِ».

وَحَدَّثَنَا عَنْ رَفْعِهَا فَقَالَ: (٢) «يَنَامُ الرَّجُلُ النَّوْمَةَ، فَتُقْبَضُ الْأَمَانَةُ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ، فَيَظَلُّ أَثَرُهَا مِثْلَ أَثَرِ الْوَكْتِ، ثُمَّ يَنَامُ النَّوْمَةَ، فَتُقْبَضُ، فَيَبْقَى أَثَرُهَا مِثْلَ الْمَجْلِ، كَجَمْرٍ دَحْرَجْتَهُ عَلَى رِجْلِكَ فَنَفِطَ، فَتَرَاهُ مُنْتَبِرًا وَلَيْسَ فِيهِ شَيْءٌ. فَيُصْبِحُ النَّاسُ يَتَبَايَعُونَ، فَلَا يَكَادُ أَحَدٌ يُؤَدِّي الْأَمَانَةَ، فَيُقَالُ: إِنَّ فِي بَنِي فُلَانٍ رَجُلًا أَمِينًا. وَيُقَالُ لِلرَّجُلِ: مَا أَعْقَلَهُ، وَمَا أَظْرَفَهُ، وَمَا أَجْلَدَهُ، وَمَا فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ حَبَّةِ خَرْدَلٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ».

وَلَقَدْ أَتَى عَلَيَّ زَمَانٌ وَمَا أُبَالِي أَيَّكُمْ بَايَعْتُ، لَئِنْ كَانَ مُسْلِمًا رَدَّهُ الْإِسْلَامُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ نَصْرَانِيًّا رَدَّهُ عَلَيَّ سَاعِيهِ. فَأَمَّا الْيَوْمَ، فَمَا كُنْتُ أُبَايِعُ إِلَّا فُلَانًا وَفُلَانًا.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Allah ﷻ will gather the people. The believers will stand until Jannah is brought near to them. Then they will come to Adam and say: ‘O our father, ask that Jannah be opened for us.’ He will say: ‘Did anything else expel you from Jannah except the sin of your father Adam? I am not the one for that. Go to my son Ibrahim, the close friend of Allah.’”

“Then Ibrahim will say: ‘I am not the one for that. I was only a close friend behind ˹the ones˺ behind (saying that, I am not of that stature, out of humility). Go to Musa ﷺ, whom Allah spoke to directly.’ So they will come to Musa ﷺ, and he will say: ‘I am not the one for that. Go to Jesus, the Word of Allah and His Ruh.’ And Jesus ﷺ will say: ‘I am not the one for that.’”

“Then they will come to Muhammad ﷺ. He will stand, and permission will be granted to him. Trustworthiness and the ties of kinship will be sent forth ˹facing the trustworthy and the treacherous˺, and they will stand on the two sides of the Sirat, to the right and to the left. Then the first of you will pass like lightning.”

I said: May my father and mother be ransomed for you, what is the thing 'passing like lightning?' He said: “Do you not see the lightning how it passes and returns in the blink of an eye? Then like the wind, then like birds, and like the running of men. Their deeds will carry them along, while your Prophet is standing on the Sirat saying: ‘My Lord, grant safety, grant safety,’ until the deeds of the servants fall short, until a man comes who cannot move except by crawling.”

"And on the edges of the Sirat are hanging hooks, commanded to seize those they are commanded to seize. So one is scratched yet saved, and another is hurled into the Fire." By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Abu Hurayrah, the depth of Hell is seventy kharifs (a measure of length of travel).

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «يَجْمَعُ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى النَّاسَ، فَيَقُومُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى تُزْلَفَ لَهُمُ الْجَنَّةُ، فَيَأْتُونَ آدَمَ، فَيَقُولُونَ: يَا أَبَانَا، اسْتَفْتِحْ لَنَا الْجَنَّةَ. فَيَقُولُ: وَهَلْ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا خَطِيئَةُ أَبِيكُمْ آدَمَ؟ لَسْتُ بِصَاحِبِ ذَلِكَ، اذْهَبُوا إِلَى ابْنِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ، خَلِيلِ اللَّهِ».

قَالَ: «فَيَقُولُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ: لَسْتُ بِصَاحِبِ ذَلِكَ، إِنَّمَا كُنْتُ خَلِيلًا مِنْ وَرَاءِ وَرَاءِ، اعْمِدُوا إِلَى مُوسَى ﷺ، الَّذِي كَلَّمَهُ اللَّهُ تَكْلِيمًا.فَيَأْتُونَ مُوسَى ﷺ، فَيَقُولُ: لَسْتُ بِصَاحِبِ ذَلِكَ، اذْهَبُوا إِلَى عِيسَى، كَلِمَةِ اللَّهِ وَرُوحِهِ. فَيَقُولُ عِيسَى ﷺ: لَسْتُ بِصَاحِبِ ذَلِكَ».

«فَيَأْتُونَ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ، فَيَقُومُ فَيُؤْذَنُ لَهُ، وَتُرْسَلُ الْأَمَانَةُ وَالرَّحِمُ، فَتَقُومَانِ جَنْبَتَيِ الصِّرَاطِ، يَمِينًا وَشِمَالً، فَيَمُرُّ أَوَّلُكُمْ كَالْبَرْقِ».

قَالَ: قُلْتُ: بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي، أَيُّ شَيْءٍ كَمَرِّ الْبَرْقِ؟ قَالَ: «أَلَمْ تَرَوْا إِلَى الْبَرْقِ، كَيْفَ يَمُرُّ وَيَرْجِعُ فِي طَرْفَةِ عَيْنٍ؟ ثُمَّ كَمَرِّ الرِّيحِ، ثُمَّ كَمَرِّ الطَّيْرِ، وَشَدِّ الرِّجَالِ. تَجْرِي بِهِمْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ، وَنَبِيُّكُمْ قَائِمٌ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ، يَقُولُ: رَبِّ سَلِّمْ، سَلِّمْ، حَتَّى تَعْجِزَ أَعْمَالُ الْعِبَادِ، حَتَّى يَجِيءَ الرَّجُلُ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُ السَّيْرَ إِلَّا زَحْفًا». 

قَالَ: «وَفِي حَافَتَيِ الصِّرَاطِ كَلَالِيبُ مُعَلَّقَةٌ، مَأْمُورَةٌ بِأَخْذِ مَنْ أُمِرَتْ بِهِ، فَمَخْدُوشٌ نَاجٍ، وَمَكْدُوسٌ فِي النَّارِ». وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ بِيَدِهِ، إِنَّ قَعْرَ جَهَنَّمَ لَسَبْعُونَ خَرِيفًا.

When al-Zubayr took his stand on the Day of the ˹Battle of the˺ Camel, he called me, and I went to his side. He said: “My son, none will be killed today except an oppressor or one wronged, and I see myself as being killed today wronged. One of my greatest concerns is this: do you think our debt will leave anything of our property?” He said: “My son, sell our property and pay off my debt.” He also made a bequest of one-third, and one-third of that third for his sons, meaning Abdullah b. al-Zubayr, saying: “A third of the third. If anything remains of our property after paying the debt, then a third of it is for your children.”

Hisham said: Some of the children of Abdullah were the same age as some of al-Zubayr’s sons, Khubayb and Abbad, and he had at that time nine sons and nine daughters. Abdullah said: He began advising me about his debt, saying: “My son, if you are unable regarding any part of it, seek help with it from my Master.” He said: By Allah, I did not know what he meant until I said: “Father, who is your Master?” He said: “Allah.” He said: By Allah, I never fell into any distress over his debt except that I said: “O Master of al-Zubayr, pay off his debt for him,” and He would pay it off.

al-Zubayr ᴿᴬ was killed, and he left neither dinar nor dirham, except some lands: among them was al-Ghabah: eleven houses in Madinah, two houses in Basrah, a house in Kufah, and a house in Egypt. He said: The only reason he had incurred the debt he owed was that a man would come to him with money and entrust it to him, and al-Zubayr would say: “No, rather it is a loan, for I fear it may be lost.”

He never held any governorship, nor collected land tax, nor anything of the sort except that he would be on a campaign with the Prophet ﷺ, or with Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman ᴿᴬ. Abdullah b. al-Zubayr said: I calculated the debt he owed and found it to be two million two hundred thousand.

He said: Hakim b. Hizam met Abdullah b. al-Zubayr and said: “Nephew, how much debt does my brother owe?” He concealed it and said: “One hundred thousand.” Hakim said: “By Allah, I do not think your wealth can cover this.” Abdullah said to him: “What do you think if it is two million two hundred thousand?” He said: “I do not think you can manage this; if you fall short of any of it, seek help from me.”

He said: al-Zubayr had bought al-Ghabah for one hundred seventy thousand, and ‘Abd Allah sold it for one million six hundred thousand. Then he stood and said: “Whoever has a claim against al-Zubayr, let him meet us at al-Ghabah.” Abdullah b. Jafar came to him, and al-Zubayr owed him four hundred thousand. He said to Abdullah: “If you wish, I will leave it to you.” Abdullah said: “No.” He said: “Then if you wish, you may put it among what you defer, if you defer.” Abdullah said: “No.” He said: “Then allot me a portion.” ‘Abd Allah said: “Yours is from here to here.”

He said: He sold from it and paid his debt in full, and there remained of it four and a half shares. He came to Muawiyah, and with him were Amr b. Uthman, al-Mundhir b. al-Zubayr, and Ibn Zamah. Muawiyah said to him: “At what value was al-Ghabah assessed?” He said: “Each share is one hundred thousand.” He said: “How much remains?” He said: “Four and a half shares.”

al-Mundhir b. al-Zubayr said: “I have taken a share for one hundred thousand.” ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman said: “I have taken a share for one hundred thousand.” Ibn Zamah said: “I have taken a share for one hundred thousand.” Muawiyah said: “How much remains?” He said: “One and a half shares.” He said: “I have taken it for one hundred fifty thousand.”

He said: Abdullah b. Jafar sold his share to Muawiyah for six hundred thousand. When Ibn al-Zubayr finished paying off his debt, the sons of al-Zubayr said: “Distribute our inheritance among us.” He said: “No, by Allah, I will not distribute it among you until I call out during the pilgrimage season for four years: ‘Let anyone who has a debt owed by al-Zubayr come to us so we may repay it.’”

He said: Each year he would call out during the pilgrimage season, and when four years had passed he divided it among them. He said: al-Zubayr had four wives, and the one-third was set aside, and each wife received one million two hundred thousand. Thus his total wealth was fifty million two hundred thousand.

لَمَّا وَقَفَ الزُّبَيْرُ يَوْمَ الْجَمَلِ، دَعَانِي، فَقُمْتُ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ، فَقَالَ: يَا بُنَيَّ، إِنَّهُ لَا يُقْتَلُ الْيَوْمَ إِلَّا ظَالِمٌ أَوْ مَظْلُومٌ، وَإِنِّي لَا أُرَانِي إِلَّا سَأُقْتَلُ الْيَوْمَ مَظْلُومًا، وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَكْبَرِ هَمِّي لَدَيْنِي: أَفَتُرَى يُبْقِي دَيْنُنَا مِنْ مَالِنَا شَيْئًا؟ فَقَالَ: يَا بُنَيَّ، بِعْ مَالَنَا فَاقْضِ دَيْنِي، وَأَوْصَى بِالثُّلُثِ، وَثُلُثِهِ لِبَنِيهِ، يَعْنِي عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ، يَقُولُ: ثُلُثُ الثُّلُثِ، فَإِنْ فَضَلَ مِنْ مَالِنَا فَضْلٌ بَعْدَ قَضَاءِ الدَّيْنِ شَيْءٌ، فَثُلُثُهُ لِوَلَدِكَ.

قَالَ هِشَامٌ: وَكَانَ بَعْضُ وَلَدِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَدْ وَازَى بَعْضَ بَنِي الزُّبَيْرِ، خُبَيْبٌ وَعَبَّادٌ، وَلَهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ تِسْعَةُ بَنِينَ وَتِسْعُ بَنَاتٍ. قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: فَجَعَلَ يُوصِينِي بِدَيْنِهِ، وَيَقُولُ: يَا بُنَيَّ، إِنْ عَجَزْتَ عَنْهُ فِي شَيْءٍ فَاسْتَعِنْ عَلَيْهِ مَوْلَايَ. قَالَ: فَوَاللَّهِ مَا دَرَيْتُ مَا أَرَادَ حَتَّى قُلْتُ: يَا أَبَتِ، مَنْ مَوْلَاكَ؟ قَالَ: اللَّهُ. قَالَ: فَوَاللَّهِ، مَا وَقَعْتُ فِي كُرْبَةٍ مِنْ دَيْنِهِ إِلَّا قُلْتُ: يَا مَوْلَى الزُّبَيْرِ، اقْضِ عَنْهُ دَيْنَهُ، فَيَقْضِيهِ.

فَقُتِلَ الزُّبَيْرُ ؓ، وَلَمْ يَدَعْ دِينَارًا وَلَا دِرْهَمًا، إِلَّا أَرَضِينَ، مِنْهَا الْغَابَةُ، وَإِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ دَارًا بِالْمَدِينَةِ، وَدَارَيْنِ بِالْبَصْرَةِ، وَدَارًا بِالْكُوفَةِ، وَدَارًا بِمِصْرَ. قَالَ: وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ دَيْنُهُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ كَانَ يَأْتِيهِ بِالْمَالِ، فَيَسْتَوْدِعُهُ إِيَّاهُ، فَيَقُولُ الزُّبَيْرُ: لَا، وَلَكِنَّهُ سَلَفٌ، فَإِنِّي أَخْشَى عَلَيْهِ الضَّيْعَةَ.

وَمَا وَلِيَ إِمَارَةً قَطُّ، وَلَا جِبَايَةَ خَرَاجٍ، وَلَا شَيْئًا، إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي غَزْوَةٍ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، أَوْ مَعَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَعُمَرَ، وَعُثْمَانَ ؓ. قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ: فَحَسَبْتُ مَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الدَّيْنِ، فَوَجَدْتُهُ أَلْفَيْ أَلْفٍ وَمِائَتَيْ أَلْفٍ.

قَالَ: فَلَقِيَ حَكِيمُ بْنُ حِزَامٍ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ، فَقَالَ: يَا ابْنَ أَخِي، كَمْ عَلَى أَخِي مِنَ الدَّيْنِ؟ فَكَتَمَهُ، فَقَالَ: مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ. فَقَالَ حَكِيمٌ: وَاللَّهِ، مَا أُرَى أَمْوَالَكُمْ تَسَعُ لِهَذِهِ. فَقَالَ لَهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: أَفَرَأَيْتَكَ إِنْ كَانَتْ أَلْفَيْ أَلْفٍ وَمِائَتَيْ أَلْفٍ؟ قَالَ: مَا أُرَاكُمْ تُطِيقُونَ هَذَا، فَإِنْ عَجَزْتُمْ عَنْ شَيْءٍ مِنْهُ فَاسْتَعِينُوا بِي.

قَالَ: وَكَانَ الزُّبَيْرُ اشْتَرَى الْغَابَةَ بِسَبْعِينَ وَمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ، فَبَاعَهَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بِأَلْفِ أَلْفٍ وَسِتِّمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ، ثُمَّ قَامَ فَقَالَ: مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى الزُّبَيْرِ حَقٌّ فَلْيُوَافِنَا بِالْغَابَةِ. فَأَتَاهُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، وَكَانَ لَهُ عَلَى الزُّبَيْرِ أَرْبَعُمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ، فَقَالَ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ: إِنْ شِئْتُمْ تَرَكْتُهَا لَكُمْ. قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: لَا. قَالَ: فَإِنْ شِئْتُمْ جَعَلْتُمُوهَا فِيمَا تُؤَخِّرُونَ إِنْ أَخَّرْتُمْ. فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: لَا. قَالَ: فَاقْطَعُوا لِي قِطْعَةً. فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ: لَكَ مِنْ هَا هُنَا إِلَى هَا هُنَا.

قَالَ: فَبَاعَ مِنْهَا، فَقَضَى دَيْنَهُ فَأَوْفَاهُ، وَبَقِيَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةُ أَسْهُمٍ وَنِصْفٌ. فَقَدِمَ عَلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَعِنْدَهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، وَالْمُنْذِرُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، وَابْنُ زَمْعَةَ. فَقَالَ لَهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ: كَمْ قُوِّمَتِ الْغَابَةُ؟ قَالَ: كُلُّ سَهْمٍ مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ. قَالَ: كَمْ بَقِيَ؟ قَالَ: أَرْبَعَةُ أَسْهُمٍ وَنِصْفٌ.

قَالَ الْمُنْذِرُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ: قَدْ أَخَذْتُ سَهْمًا بِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ. قَالَ عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ: قَدْ أَخَذْتُ سَهْمًا بِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ زَمْعَةَ: قَدْ أَخَذْتُ سَهْمًا بِمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ. فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ: كَمْ بَقِيَ؟ فَقَالَ: سَهْمٌ وَنِصْفٌ. قَالَ: أَخَذْتُهُ بِخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ.

قَالَ: وَبَاعَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ نَصِيبَهُ مِنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بِسِتِّمِائَةِ أَلْفٍ. فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ مِنْ قَضَاءِ دَيْنِهِ، قَالَ بَنُو الزُّبَيْرِ: اقْسِمْ بَيْنَنَا مِيرَاثَنَا. قَالَ: لَا وَاللَّهِ، لَا أَقْسِمُ بَيْنَكُمْ حَتَّى أُنَادِيَ بِالْمَوْسِمِ أَرْبَعَ سِنِينَ: أَلَا مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ عَلَى الزُّبَيْرِ دَيْنٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا فَلْنَقْضِهِ.

قَالَ: فَجَعَلَ كُلَّ سَنَةٍ يُنَادِي بِالْمَوْسِمِ، فَلَمَّا مَضَى أَرْبَعُ سِنِينَ قَسَمَ بَيْنَهُمْ. قَالَ: فَكَانَ لِلزُّبَيْرِ أَرْبَعُ نِسْوَةٍ، وَرُفِعَ الثُّلُثُ، فَأَصَابَ كُلَّ امْرَأَةٍ أَلْفُ أَلْفٍ وَمِائَتَا أَلْفٍ، فَجَمِيعُ مَالِهِ خَمْسُونَ أَلْفَ أَلْفٍ وَمِائَتَا أَلْفٍ.