my position in relation to these people is? It is like that of a group of travelers who collected a sum of money from among themselves (1) and entrusted it to one man to spend on them. Would it be lawful for that man to appropriate any of their money for himself, to their exclusion (2)?!”

On one occasion, a vast sum from the one-fifth share was brought to Umar ibn al-Khattāb, may Allah be pleased with him. He said, “Those who faithfully delivered this are indeed trustworthy.” One of those present said to him, “You were faithful to the trust placed in you by Allah Most High, and so they were faithful to the trust they owed you. Had you helped yourself, they would have done the same (3).”

It should be understood that a ruler is like a marketplace: whatever is in demand there is brought to it (4). This is how Umar ibn Abd al-Azīz expressed it (5). If truthfulness, righteousness, justice, and trustworthiness are in demand there, those qualities will be brought to it; but if lying, wickedness, injustice, and treachery are in demand there, those qualities will be brought to it. The ruler’s duty is to collect wealth from lawful sources, allocate it where it rightfully belongs, and not withhold it from those entitled to it.

Whenever Alī ibn Abī Tālib, may Allah be pleased with him, learned that one of his deputies had committed an injustice, he would say, “O Allah, I did not command them to wrong Your creation or neglect what is due to You (6).”