Chapter X: Living and Character of the Prophet
O Commander of the Faithful, I heard that Hazrat Omar appointed a man to collect Zakat from the Ansars. After some days Omar heard that he stayed in his house and therefore he asked him : Why have you not gone out to discharge your duty ?
Don't you know that you will get rewards of one warrior in the way of God ? He said: I have heard that the Prophet said : If any man is entrusted with an office of the public, he will be raised up on the Resurrection Day with his hands tied up to his neck.
Nothing will unloosen it except justice. Then he will wait upon a bridge of fire. It will break down with him and as a result all his limbs will be broken. Then he will be brought and accounts will be taken . If he be pious, he will get salvation for his good deeds.
If he be a sinner, he will be raised along with it and will fall down to the, abyss of Hell, Hazrat Omar asked him : From whdm have you heard this Hadis ? He said : From Abu Zarr and Salman Faresi when they were brought, they admitted it and then Hazrat Omar Said : Woe to me, who will take the power of administration when there are such evils in it ? Abu Zarr said:
That man will take it whose nose will be cut by God , whose face will be powerded to dust by Him . Then he began to weep.
Then I said : O Commander of the Faithful, your grand father Abbas wanted governorship of Mecca, but, the Prophet said to him: O Abbass, uncle of the Prophet, keep yourself away from this trouble. It is better than the burden of administration . You cannot conceive it. The Prophet said it out of kindness to his
202 Enjoining good and forbidding evil Vol-II
uncle. He told him that it would not be of any use to God. God then revealed to him: Warn your near relatives. The Prophet then said : O Abbas, O Sufia, O Fatema (daughter of the Prophet). I am not responsible for you to God. My actions will help me and your actions will help you. Hazrat Omar said : The burden of administration devolves upon one who has got deep knowledge, who is firm in promise, whose evils can not openly be spoken of who does not fear his relatives and whom the slanders of the slanderers cannot move. Hazrat Omar said : There are four classes of rules — (1) a powerful ruler who keeps himself and his officers engaged. They are like warriors in the way of God. The hand of mercy is upon them. (2) A weak ruler who does not make efforts in administrative matters and owing to his weakness his officers pass time in comforts. He will be ruined and will not get salvation (3) A ruler who keeps his officers busy in duties but himself remains in comforts. This is such a calamity about which the Prophet said : A bad shepherd isa danger and ruins himself.
(4) A ruler who lives in comforts and his officers also live likewise , They are all ruined.