The Book on Government (Kitab Al-Imara)

Muslim :: Book 20 : Hadith 4511

It has been reported on the authority of Abu Humaid as-Sa'idi who said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) appointed a man from the Azd tribe. called Ibn al-, Utbiyya, in charge of Sadaqat to be received from Banu Sulaim. When he came (back), the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) asked him to render his account. He said: This wealth is for you (i. e. for the public treasury) and this is a gift (presented to me). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: You should have remained in the house of your father and your mother, until your gift came to you if you spoke the truth; then he addressed us. He praised God and extolled Him, and afterwards said: I appoint a man from you to a responsible post sharing with the authority that God has entrusted to me, and he comes to me saying: This wealth is for you (i. e. for the public treasury) and this is a gift presented to me. Why did he not remain in the house of his father and his mother and his gift came to him, if he was truthful? By God, any one of you will not take anything from (the public funds) without any justification, but will meet his Lord carrying it on himself on the Day of judgment. I will recognise any one of you meeting Allah and carrying a growling camel, or a cow bellowing or a goat bleating. Then he raised his hands so high that whiteness of his armpits could be seen. Then he said: O my Lord, I have conveyed (Thy Commandments). The narrator says: My eyes saw (the Holy Prophet standing in that pose) and my ears heard (what he said).