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Sahih al-Bukhari 6497 (Book 81, Hadith 86) #6246
The Disappearance of Honesty

SUMMARY: This hadith explains how honesty was originally present in the hearts of people, but has since been replaced by dishonesty and lack of trustworthiness.

Narrated Hudhaifa: Allah's Messenger narrated to us two narrations, one of which I have seen (happening) and I am waiting for the other. He narrated that honesty was preserved in the roots of the hearts of men (in the beginning) and then they learnt it (honesty) from the Qur'an, and then they learnt it from the (Prophet's) Sunna (tradition). He also told us about its disappearance, saying, "A man will go to sleep whereupon honesty will be taken away from his heart, and only its trace will remain, resembling the traces of fire. He then will sleep whereupon the remainder of the honesty will also be taken away (from his heart) and its trace will resemble a blister which is raised over the surface of skin, when an ember touches one's foot; and in fact, this blister does not contain anything. So there will come a day when people will deal in business with each other but there will hardly be any trustworthy persons among them. Then it will be said that in such-and-such a tribe there is such-and-such person who is honest, and a man will be admired for his intelligence, good manners and strength, though indeed he will not have belief equal to a mustard seed in his heart". The narrator added: There came upon me a time when I did not mind dealing with anyone of you, for if he was a Muslim, his religion would prevent him from cheating; and if he was a Christian, his Muslim ruler would prevent him from cheating; but today I cannot deal except with so-and-so and so-and-so.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حُذَيْفَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ حَدِيثَيْنِ رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَهُمَا وَأَنَا أَنْتَظِرُ الآخَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا ‏"‏ أَنَّ الأَمَانَةَ نَزَلَتْ فِي جَذْرِ قُلُوبِ الرِّجَالِ، ثُمَّ عَلِمُوا مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ، ثُمَّ عَلِمُوا مِنَ السُّنَّةِ ‏"‏‏.‏ وَحَدَّثَنَا عَنْ رَفْعِهَا قَالَ ‏"‏ يَنَامُ الرَّجُلُ النَّوْمَةَ فَتُقْبَضُ الأَمَانَةُ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ، فَيَظَلُّ أَثَرُهَا مِثْلَ أَثَرِ الْوَكْتِ، ثُمَّ يَنَامُ النَّوْمَةَ فَتُقْبَضُ فَيَبْقَى أَثَرُهَا مِثْلَ الْمَجْلِ، كَجَمْرٍ دَحْرَجْتَهُ عَلَى رِجْلِكَ فَنَفِطَ، فَتَرَاهُ مُنْتَبِرًا، وَلَيْسَ فِيهِ شَىْءٌ، فَيُصْبِحُ النَّاسُ يَتَبَايَعُونَ فَلاَ يَكَادُ أَحَدٌ يُؤَدِّي الأَمَانَةَ، فَيُقَالُ إِنَّ فِي بَنِي فُلاَنٍ رَجُلاً أَمِينًا‏.‏ وَيُقَالُ لِلرَّجُلِ مَا أَعْقَلَهُ وَمَا أَظْرَفَهُ وَمَا أَجْلَدَهُ‏.‏ وَمَا فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ حَبَّةِ خَرْدَلٍ مِنْ إِيمَانٍ، وَلَقَدْ أَتَى عَلَىَّ زَمَانٌ وَمَا أُبَالِي أَيَّكُمْ بَايَعْتُ لَئِنْ كَانَ مُسْلِمًا رَدَّهُ الإِسْلاَمُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ نَصْرَانِيًّا رَدَّهُ عَلَىَّ سَاعِيهِ، فَأَمَّا الْيَوْمَ فَمَا كُنْتُ أُبَايِعُ إِلاَّ فُلاَنًا وَفُلاَنًا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ الْفِرَبْرِيُّ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ عَاصِمٍ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عُبَيْدٍ يَقُولُ قَالَ الأَصْمَعِيُّ وَأَبُو عَمْرٍو وَغَيْرُهُمَا جَذْرُ قُلُوبِ الرِّجَالِ الْجَذْرُ الأَصْلُ مِنْ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ، وَالْوَكْتُ أَثَرُ الشَّىْءِ الْيَسِيرُ مِنْهُ، وَالْمَجْلُ أَثَرُ الْعَمَلِ فِي الْكَفِّ إِذَا غَلُظَ‏.‏

TOPICS
honesty  *  cheating  *  ihsaan  *  alquraaan  *  assunnah  *  khiyaana  *  quran  *  sunna

QUICK LESSONS:
Be honest and trustworthy; Have faith in Allah even when things seem hopeless; Learn about honesty through reading Quran & following Prophet Muhammad's traditions; Deal with others fairly & respectfully; Appreciate intelligence & good manners.

EXPLANATIONS:
This hadith explains how honesty was originally present in the hearts of people, but has since been replaced by dishonesty and lack of trustworthiness. It is narrated by Hudhaifa that Allah's Messenger said that honesty was preserved in the roots of the hearts of men at first, then they learnt it from the Qur'an and then from Prophet Muhammad's Sunna. He also told us about its disappearance, saying that a man will go to sleep whereupon honesty will be taken away from his heart until only a trace remains like a blister which does not contain anything. As time passes, people will deal with each other without any trustworthy persons among them. The narrator added that he used to not mind dealing with anyone before because if they were Muslim their religion would prevent them from cheating and if they were Christian their Muslim ruler would prevent them from cheating but now he can only deal with certain people. This hadith teaches us about the importance of being honest and trustworthy as well as having faith in Allah even when it seems like there is no hope left for humanity.

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