This hadith makes clear that trustworthiness will be removed from people’s hearts until a man becomes treacherous after having been trustworthy. This happens only when a person’s fear of Allah has vanished, his faith has weakened, and he has associated with treacherous people, thus becoming treacherous himself—for a person follows the example of his companion.

One manifestation of betraying the trust is to entrust people’s affairs—whether government, the caliphate, the judiciary, or public offices of every kind—to those who are unqualified, rather than to those capable of administering and safeguarding them. This violates people’s rights, shows disregard for their interests, sows resentment in their hearts, and stirs up discord among them (1).

If those who govern people’s affairs betray the trust—and people follow those who govern them—the people will likewise betray it. The rectitude of rulers brings rectitude to their subjects, while their corruption corrupts them.

Furthermore, entrusting authority to those unqualified for it clearly demonstrates people’s lack of concern for their religion, for they will appoint over themselves someone who pays no heed to his religion. This occurs only when ignorance prevails and religious knowledge is taken away. It was to indicate this that al-Bukhārī, may Allah have mercy on him, included the aforementioned hadith of Abū Hurayra in the Book of Knowledge.

Ibn Hajar said: “The relevance of this text to the Book of Knowledge is that authority will be entrusted to those unqualified for it only when ignorance prevails and religious knowledge is taken away, and this is one of the signs of the Hour” (2).