Upholding Integrity in Jobs: The Prophet’s Teachings on Accountability and Misappropriation

The Importance of Integrity in Jobs: Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ Warning on Accountability and Misappropriation

UPHOLDING INTEGRITY IN JOBS

‘Adi bin ‘Umairah (May ALLĀH be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger OF ALLĀH ﷺ said, "Whosoever among you is appointed by us to a position and he conceals from us even a needle or less, it will amount to misappropriation and he will be called upon to restore it on the Day of Resurrection".

(‘Adi bin ‘Umairah added:) A black man from the Ansar stood up – I can see him still – and said: “O Messenger of ALLĀH, take back from me your assignment.”

He (the Prophet ﷺ) said, “What has happened to you?”

The man replied: “I have heard you saying such and such.”

He ﷺ said, “I say that even now: Whosoever from you is appointed by us to a position, he should render an account of everything, big or small, and whatever he is given therefrom, he should take and he should desist from taking what is unlawful”. {Muslim}

{Riyādhus-Saliḥīn || Book 1, Chapter 26, Hadith 215}

COMMENTARY:
Here, functionaries of government are warned to perform their duties with co-operation and integrity. If they neglect their duties or take undue advantage of their official position, they will be held guilty by ALLĀH for dereliction of their duties and misuse of power. It also tells us that it is the duty of the superior officers to keep a strict watch on their subordinates and not to let them indulge in bribery and abuse; otherwise, their negligence or slackness or overlooking or shirking from their duty on their behalf will also be treated as crime. It is not difficult to imagine the fate of such officers who conspire in the loot and plunder as is the case in our society today.

{Commentary by Hafiz Salahudeen Yusuf}