- Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamān, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told us two reports; I have witnessed one of them and I am waiting for the other. He informed us that amānah (trustworthiness) was deposited in the very roots of men’s hearts. Then the Quran was revealed, and the people acted in accordance with the Quran and learned from the Sunnah. Later he told us how trustworthiness would be taken away. He said:
‘A man will go to sleep, and trustworthiness will be removed from his heart, leaving behind a faint trace like a tiny dot. He will sleep again, and trustworthiness will be lifted from his heart, leaving behind a trace like a blister—like a live coal you roll across your foot so that it raises a blister which you see protruding although there is nothing inside it.’
The Prophet then picked up a small stone and rolled it across his foot. He continued:
‘People will wake up and engage in trade, yet hardly anyone will fulfill trustworthiness, until it is said, “In such-and-such a clan there is a trustworthy man.” A man will be praised, “How strong he is! How elegant! How intelligent!”—while there is not in his heart even a mustard-seed’s weight of faith. There was a time when I did not care with whom of you I concluded a deal: if he was a Muslim, his religion would make him return my due, and if he was a Christian or a Jew, the state officer in charge of him would see to it. But today I will not transact with anyone except so-and-so and so-and-so.’ ” ⦗200⦘
Vocabulary notes:
• “Jadhr” means the root or foundation of a thing.
• “Wakt” refers to a very slight mark.
• “Majl” is a swelling or callus that appears on the hand and similar places because of work or friction.
• “Muntabir” means raised or swollen.
• “Sāʿīhi” denotes the governor or official responsible for him.