عن عَدِيِّ بن عُمَيْرَةَ رضي اللّه عنه قال: سَمِعْتُ رسولَ اللّه صلّى اللّه عليه وسلّم يَقُول: «مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلْنَاهُ مِنْكُمْ عَلَى عَمَل، فَكَتَمَنَا مِخْيَطًا فَمَا فَوْقَهُ، كَانَ غُلُولًا يَأْتِي بِهِ يوْم الْقِيامَةِ» فقَام إليهِ رجُلٌ أَسْودُ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ -كأَنِّي أَنْظرُ إِلَيْه- فقال: يا رسول اللّه اقْبَلْ عني عملَكَ قال: «وما لكَ؟» قال: سَمِعْتُك تقُول كَذَا وَكَذَا، قال: «وَأَنَا أَقُولُهُ الآن: من اسْتعْملْنَاهُ عَلَى عملٍ فلْيَجِئ بقَلِيلهِ وَكَثيرِه، فمَا أُوتِيَ مِنْهُ أَخَذَ ومَا نُهِيَ عَنْهُ انْتَهَى» رواه مسلم.
'Adi ibn 'Umayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: "Whoever among you we appoint to a position, and he conceals from us even a needle or more, it is embezzlement (ghulul) that he will bring with him on the Day of Resurrection." A dark-complexioned man from the Ansar stood up — I can picture him now — and said: "O Messenger of Allah, take back your appointment from me." He said: "Why?" The man said: "I heard you say such-and-such." He said: "And I say it now: whoever we appoint to a task, let him bring everything, both its small and large amounts. Whatever he is given of it, he may take; and whatever he is told not to take, he must refrain from." Narrated by Muslim.
الشرح · explanation
مِخْيَطًا فما فوقه: إبرة أو ما هو أصغر منها. غُلولًا: أي خيانة، وقيل مأخوذ من الغُل وهو الحديدة التي يُجمع بها يد الأسير إلى عنقه. اقبل عني عملك: ائذن لي أن أستقيل من العمل الذي ولَّيْتَني عليه. كذا وكذا: من ألفاظ الكنايات يكنَّى بها عن المجهول وعمّا لا يُراد التصريح به، وما سبق ذكره. أُوتي: أُعطي. ما نهي عنه انتهى: ما بُيّن له أن أخذه غير جائز تركه ولم يأخذه.
A needle or more (mikhyatan fa-ma fawqahu): a needle or anything smaller than it. Embezzlement (ghulul): meaning treachery; it is also said to derive from al-ghull, the iron shackle by which a prisoner's hand is bound to his neck. Take back your appointment (iqbal 'anni 'amalak): allow me to resign from the position you assigned me. Such-and-such (kadha wa-kadha): expressions of substitution used in place of something unspecified, something one does not wish to state explicitly, or something previously mentioned. Given (utiya): granted. Whatever he is told not to take, he must refrain from (ma nuhiya 'anhu intaha): whatever is made clear to him that taking it is impermissible, he leaves it and does not take it.
الدروس · lessons
الوعيد الشديد والتحذير الأكيد لمن خان في عمله أو وظيفته في القليل أو الكثير. من اؤتُمن على أموال الأمّة ومُقَدَّراتها عليه أن يصونها ويؤديها إلى مستحقيها ولا يختص نفسه بشيء منها، وإن حدثته نفسه بالخيانة فأخذَ شيئًا وجب عليه رده وإلّا افتضح يوم القيامة على رؤوس الأشهاد. وجوب البعد عن الإمارة والوظيفة لمن لمس من نفسه عدم الثقة والقدرة على القيام بها بأمانة وإخلاص.
A severe warning and emphatic admonition against anyone who betrays his work or position, whether in small or large matters. Whoever is entrusted with the community's wealth and resources must safeguard them and deliver them to those entitled to them, and must not appropriate anything for himself. If his soul tempts him to betray and he takes something, he is obligated to return it; otherwise, he will be exposed on the Day of Resurrection before all of creation. It is obligatory to distance oneself from positions of authority and public office if one senses within himself a lack of confidence or ability to discharge them with trustworthiness and sincerity.