One of the characteristics of a true believers mentioned in the Glorious Qur’an and supported by the saying of the Holy Prophet is that you should take care of the things entrusted to you and adhere to the covenants and honour them in whatever situation and position you find yourselves.
Restoration of Trust is of three types:
1. Position of leadership held on behalf of the people.
2. Entrusting people with cash deposits, loans, transactions, agreements, covenants etc.
3. Divine trust which consists of religious duties.
If someone gives you something to keep for him, please in the name of Allah restore the trust to its owner because the latter considered you to be honest, righteous and pious person. That is why he entrusted the things to you.
Don’t betray Allah, Don’t betray Islam and Don’t betray your soul, because whoever is not particular about the restoration of trust does not possess faith.
Misappropriation of Trust is the root of hypocrisy
The Holy Prophet says that “Any person in whom there is anyone of these three qualities is a hypocrite even though he may offer prayers and keep fast.
(i) A person who is always tells lies during his conversation.
(ii) A person who makes a promise but does not keep or fulfill it and
(iii) A person who misappropriate trust.
The pages of history can also assist us in understanding clearly how dishonesty and breach of trust results in ruination: During the time of ‘Azudud Dowla of Daylami, a wealthy young man who spend many his life in sin, drinking and revelries fell ill and confined to his bed When he lost all hope of life he made. a promise if he recovered he would give up vices and would turn towards piety.
Allah restored his health he also kept his promise, threw away the tools of gambling and amusements and the wind he had in his house and decided to go for the pilgrimage of the House of Allah.
He had 30,000 gold dinars which he entrusted to the judge of the city who enjoyed good reputation for his honesty and proceeded to Makkah.
His journey was prolonged. He met with some accidents on the way and suffered many hardships. After a long time he returned to his hometown, very much tired and distressed.
– Notwithstanding all these sufferings and hardships he was happy that he owned 30,000 gold dinars in cash and it would be possible for him to overcome all the difficulties by means of that money. However, when he approached the judge for the restoration of the money the latter said: ‘I do not know you and have not taken any money from you’.
All the beseechings and entreaties of the man proved to be in vain. Eventually the judge threatened him that if he disturbed him any more he would give the verdict that he was insane and would send him to the lunatic asylum where he would remain till the end of his life.
Overcome by despair and perplexity the man went to the jungle where he wept and cried on account his bad luck.
One of the officials of Azudud Dowla met the man and came to know about the incident. He related the same to ‘Azudud Dowla.
‘Azudud Dowla sent the man to Isfahan for a few days. Then he summoned the judge and said to him ‘As you can see I have grown old and the world too, is very unreliable. I have young sons and daughters and afraid that if I die suddenly and the kingdom falls in the hands of my enemies my children will get involved in difficulties and afflictions As a precautionary measure, therefore, I have decided to deposit more than a million gold dinars of the treasury with you as you are a decent and honest man, so that you may give this amount to my children after my death and they may not have to face difficulties. Now I want you to construct a basement in your house so that one night I may transfer the money there secretly’.
The Judge expressed his willingness to perform this task and took his leave of the king. He was extremely happy and from that very moment “began preparing plans in his mind to appropriate one million gold dinars.
A few days after the judge had built up a basement in his house for the transfer of gold, ‘Azudud Dowla summoned the oppressed person and said to him: ‘Go to the judge now and ask him to repay your money. If he declines to do so, threaten him by saying that you are going to lodge a complaint with me’.
The man acted as ‘he was directed by the king. When the judge heard his threat he feared that if the matter reached the ears of ‘Azudud Dowla he would not deposit the money with him. He, therefore, spoke affably to him and restored to him the total amount which was contained in two copper receptacles. The man brought the money to ‘Azudud Dowla and informed him of the developments.
As ordered by the King the officials went and brought the judge, with bare head and before the King, dragging him in a very insulting manner. There was no occasion for denial. Every thing was quite evident and patent.
The King said: ‘Let there be the curse of Allah upon you! You have grown old. You have reached the end of your life. You were appointed to the exalted position of a judge, but inspite of this you misappropriated the property entrusted to you by the Muslims. I have realized now that you have accumulated this property and wealth by means of bribes and dishonesty and all of it belongs to the Muslims’.
Then, as ordered by the King, the entire property belonging to the judge was confiscated and he was removed from his office”.
This man had to meet a tragic end and lost his wealth, position, dignity and everything else on account of the breach of trust committed by him in respect of the amount which was entrusted to him.. It is in this very sense that the holy Prophet says: “Respect for trust makes one free from wants and breach of trust brings about poverty and affliction”.
Restore the trust to their owners whether they be good or bad persons and whether it is big or small, whether they are poor or a rich person.
Perform the duty of restoring trust to its owner even though it may be as insignificant as a needle and a thread.
It is misappropriation of trust for an Imam to refuse to speak the truth at all times.
An Imam should not be afraid and neutral on issues affecting the society, because there is no issue the Glorious Qur’an has not discussed.
It is also a fulfillment of trust for the Imam to inform, educate, enlighten, remind and teach the congregation about various issues and happenings around the globe, whether it is international, national and local.
When you employ someone to work for you, to manage your businesses or properties for you, and you want the best from him or them, you must make such person comfortable in terms of reasonable remuneration or salary package.
Trust is not confined to money only and that is why in the Qur’anic verses the word has been mentioned in plural form Amanat that is trusts.
The Holy Qur’an is a trust which Almighty Allah and His Prophet have placed before the Muslims so that, by acting according to its orders, we may achieve the blessings in this world and in the Hereafter and besides acting according to Allah’s commands may communicate the same to the people and explain to them the merits of this sacred law.
We should esteem our women and children as they are the trusts of Allah and should guide them to the right path.
We should not neglect advising our brethren-in-faith and sympathizing with them as this act of giving advice to others is also a trust of Allah.
We should safeguard the secrets of the servants of Allah and should not endanger their reputation, because secrets of the people are the trust violation of which is reckoned to be a sin.
(No human being is 100% perfect. We all have our shortcomings before you start revealing other people’s secrets, think about your secrets that Almighty Allah has been concealing or hiding from others).
A person cannot be treated trustworthy unless he is tested in three things as trust:
(i) Property (ii) Secrets and (iii) Honour. If he is successful in two cases but commits breach of trust is not trustworthy”.
In some traditions the holy Prophet treated the meetings of the friends to be a trust and said: “The meetings are trusts and nobody has a right to reveal any matter which the person concerned does not wish to be divulged, except that it may be with his permission or the hearer is a reliable person or what is said is in praise of that man”.
The students are trusts in the hands of their teachers and it is the duty of the latter in that capacity to endeavour for their training, education, refinement of morals and strengthening of their beliefs with extreme sympathy and interest and to bring up and deliver them as pious and useful persons.
(Like what happened in Lagos recently. A woman was employed as a Nanny or house-help, she absconded with her Madam’s three kids and demanded for 15millions. It was ALLAH that saved those Kids. This is misappropriation of Trust on the part of the hFactories and industrial workshops are trusts in the control of the directors, engineers and managers who should keeping in view their duty as a trust, supervise and maintain them and benefit from them in an appropriate manner.
All administrative and other occupations and posts are trusts and those holding positions should, keeping in view the duties which they owe to Allah and his servant, carry out the responsibilities with perfect truthfulness and honesty.
A driver who is an automobile, a worker who is concerned with an agricultural or industrial machine and a mechanic who is entrusted the task of repairing engines are all trustees, who are responsible before Allah for the safe custody, upkeep and proper maintenance of the trusts in their charge.
The assets of the community or country, whether public or private wealth. are- trusts and whoever controls them is duty-bound to take care of them and restore them to the rightful owners.
-There are so many state governors today who have refused to pay their workers salaries in Nigeria;
-Pensioners money running into Billions of Naira have stolen in Nigeria.;
-NNPC’s money running into Billions cannot be accounted for etc. all these are misappropriation of Trust.
“It is ‘recommended’ that trust may be accepted from the people, but when they are accepted it. It is obligatory that proper care thereof should be taken”.
