during the illness from which he died, whereupon Maʿqil said to him, “I will tell you something I heard from the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him. I heard the Messenger of Allah say, ‘No servant whom Allah places in charge of a flock dies while betraying those in his care without Allah forbidding him to enter Paradise.’ 1

In another wording recorded by Muslim: ‘Any governor who is entrusted with an affair of the Muslims and neither strives on their behalf nor offers them sincere counsel shall not enter Paradise with them.’ 2

Al-Bukhari and Muslim also relate from Ibn ʿUmar—may Allah be pleased with them both—that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: ‘Take heed! Every one of you is a shepherd and every one of you will be questioned about his flock. [The ruler who is over the people is a shepherd and will be questioned about his flock.] 3 A man is a shepherd over the members of his household and will be questioned about them; a woman is a shepherd over her husband’s house and will be questioned about it; and a servant is a shepherd over his master’s wealth and will be questioned about it. Truly, every one of you is a shepherd and every one of you will be questioned about his flock.’ 4