Narrated Hudhaifa: Allah’s Apostle related to us, two prophetic narrations one of which I have seen fulfilled and I am waiting for the fulfillment of the other. The Prophet told us that the virtue of honesty descended in the roots of men’s hearts (from Allah) and then they learned it from the Qur’an and then they learned it from the Sunna (the Prophet’s traditions). The Prophet further told us how that honesty will be taken away: He said: “Man will go to sleep during which honesty will be taken away from his heart and only its trace will remain in his heart like the trace of a dark spot; then man will go to sleep, during which honesty will decrease further still, so that its trace will resemble the trace of blister as when an ember is dropped on one’s foot which would make it swell, and one would see it swollen but there would be nothing inside. People would be carrying out their trade but hardly will there be a trustworthy person. It will be said, ‘in such-and-such tribe there is an honest man,’ and later it will be said about some man, ‘What a wise, polite and strong man he is!’ Though he will not have faith equal even to a mustard seed in his heart.” No doubt, there came upon me a time when I did not mind dealing (bargaining) with anyone of you, for if he was a Muslim his Islam would compel him to pay me what is due to me, and if he was a Christian, the Muslim official would compel him to pay me what is due to me, but today I do not deal except with such-and-such person.
Hadith In Arabic Text :
حدثنا محمد بن كثير، أخبرنا سفيان، حدثنا الأعمش، عن زيد بن وهب، حدثنا حذيفة، قال حدثنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حديثين رأيت أحدهما وأنا أنتظر الآخر حدثنا ” أن الأمانة نزلت في جذر قلوب الرجال، ثم علموا من القرآن، ثم علموا من السنة ”. وحدثنا عن رفعها قال ” ينام الرجل النومة فتقبض الأمانة من قلبه، فيظل أثرها مثل أثر الوكت، ثم ينام النومة فتقبض فيبقى فيها أثرها مثل أثر المجل، كجمر دحرجته على رجلك فنفط، فتراه منتبرا وليس فيه شىء، ويصبح الناس يتبايعون فلا يكاد أحد يؤدي الأمانة فيقال إن في بني فلان رجلا أمينا. ويقال للرجل ما أعقله، وما أظرفه، وما أجلده، وما في قلبه مثقال حبة خردل من إيمان، ولقد أتى على زمان، ولا أبالي أيكم بايعت، لئن كان مسلما رده على الإسلام، وإن كان نصرانيا رده على ساعيه، وأما اليوم فما كنت أبايع إلا فلانا وفلانا ”.
Chapter : Afflictions and the End of the World – كتاب الفتن