FRIDAY LEARNING ZONE FROM WESSEX JAMAAT
2nd Rabi’ al-Thani 1428 AH / 20th April 2007
No. 16
THE KINDS OF DHULM – CON’T
We are looking at the second kind of Dhulm, which is HABSUL-HUQOOQ i.e. ‘to confiscate the possessions and belongings of others’. Two of the things that are considered as HABSUL-HUQOOQ and which, we have already discussed in the previous FLZs are:
Ø NOT paying the Shar’ee Huqooq such as Khums and Zakat
Ø Non-repayment of Qardh, i.e. Loans that we take from one another.
The third kind of Habsul-Huqooq, which is Khiyanah meaning ‘Betrayal or Breach of Trust’. When somebody entrusts a person with something, and that person misappropriates or embezzles what he has been entrusted with, this is Khiyanah meaning ‘Betrayal or Breach of Trust’. Trust could be anything. For example, if someone gives you a something (say a pencil) to keep it or for just to use it for sometime and either you lose it, or break it or even misuse it in such a way that the pencil is damaged …then this is considered as Khiyanah. Similarly, if somebody entrusts someone with a thing, either to deliver it to a third person or to take care of it for sometime, and that person misappropriates that thing…. then this is also Khiyanah. “Indeed Allah commands you to deliver the trusts to their (rightful) owners”. (4:58). And one who does not deliver the trusts, then Allah (SWT) says: “And whoever breaches his trust, will bring his breaches on the Day of Resurrection”. (3:161)
The Holy Prophet (saww) has said, “There are three signs of a Munafiq (Hypocrite) even if he prays and fasts; and calls himself a Muslim: Lying; Violating Promises and Breaching of a Trust”. (Al-Kaafi) A Muslim has been instructed to take of the trust, which he has been entrusted with even if that trust belongs to a non-believer or a staunch enemy of Ahlul-Bayt (as). Imam Zaynul-‘Aabideen (as) has said,
“You must return the trusts when required. By the One who sent Muhammad (saww) as a Messenger with trust, even if the killer of my father Husayn (as) had entrusted me with the sword with which he had slain him, I would have delivered it back to him”. (Gunahaane Kabeera) A person came to Imam as-Sadiq (as) and said, “One of your followers considers the property and blood of Banu ‘Umayyah permissible for himself. He is also in possession of some property entrusted to him by Banu ‘Umayyah”. Imam (as) replied, “Restore the trust to its owner even if they are Majoos (fire worshippers)”. (Wasail al-Shia’h) The Holy Prophet (saww) has said, “If one is a Muslim, he should neither cheat nor breach any trust for I have heard from Jibrael that deceit and breach of trust belong to hell”. (Wasail al-Shia’h)