something no one can know except the two of you. Since both of you are trustworthy—being Companions—I give judgment according to what is outwardly apparent, while the inner reality is left to you. This is akin to his saying, “I judge only on the basis of what I hear…,” and so forth.

5 – The hadith demonstrates that a person’s own statement about his poverty or affluence is to be accepted, because such matters pertain to his private situation.

The remainder of this discussion will appear in the next hadith, God willing.