Aslam

with drinking wine. I said : Don't spy. So Hazrat Omar returned there. The Prophet said to Muwayiah : If you enquire into the secrets of the people, you will ruin them. The Prophet said : O people (who have faith by tongue but in whose heart the light of Islam has not yet entered), don't back-bite and Muslims, don't roam about to enquire into their secrets because he who roams about the secrets of his brother, God will enquire about his secrets. God humiliates one whose secrets He follows , even though he remains within the house. Hazrat Abu Bakr said : If I see anybody to commit prescribed offense, I will not arrest him nor I will tell anybody to arrest him till some person remains with me. A wise man said : I was seated one day with Hazrat Abdullah-b-Masud . At that time a man brought another man to him saying : This man is a drunkard. Abdullah-b-Masud said :
Take smell from his mouth. The people took smell from his mouth and it was found that he drank wine. He then arrested him and whipped him. He asked the man who brought him. Is this man your relative ? He said : I am his uncle. He said : You have not given him training and good manners and did not keep his sin secret. When any sin of a person is mentioned to a ruler, he has got no other alternatives but to punish him. God is forgiving and love forgiveness. Then he recited. Take to pardon and forgiveness. I will mention to you with regard to a thief who was brought to the Prophet for the first time. He ordered for cutting of his hands which were cut off. But then the colour of his face became changed at this. The companions asked : Are you dissatisfied with the cutting of his hands ? He said : Why should not I ? Don't be helpers of the devil against your brothers . The companions asked : Then why have you not forgiven him ? When a man in brought to a ruler for being guilty of a prescribed crime, it becomes compulsory on him to inflict the prescribed punishment on him. God is forgiving, He loves forgiveness .
Then he recited : Let them pardon and forgive. Don't you like that God may forgive you ? God is forgiving, merciful.

Once Hazrat Omar, while going at night in the city, heard sounds of songs in a house. He got over the wall and found that there was a woman with them and a pot of wine near a man. He said : O enemy of God, have you thought that God will keep your sin concealed ? He said : O Commander of the faithful, you have come yourself ! Don't be hasty in judgement I committed one sin this time, but you have committed three sins. God said: Don't

124 The Book of Wordly Usages Vol-II