Lu'lu' wal-Marjan

Hazrat Abu Humaid Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) appointed a collector. The collector completed his work and then came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah! This wealth is yours, and this wealth was given to me as a gift." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Then why did you not remain seated in your parents' house and see whether you would be given any gift or not?" After that, he stood up to deliver a sermon after the night prayer, and after reciting the testimony of faith and praising Allah as He deserves, he said: "To proceed! What is the matter with such a collector whom we appoint (to collect jizyah and other taxes), and then he comes to us and says, 'This is your tax, and this was given to me as a gift.' Why did he not remain seated in his parents' house and see whether he would be given a gift or not? By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if any one of you commits treachery with any of this wealth, then on the Day of Resurrection he will come carrying it on his neck. If he has been treacherous with a camel, he will bring it while it is making a sound. If he has been treacherous with a cow, he will bring it while it is mooing. If he has been treacherous with a goat, he will bring it while it is bleating. So I have conveyed (the message) to you." Hazrat Abu Humaid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) raised his hand so high that we began to see the whiteness of his armpits.