(15) باب احْتِيَالِ الْعَامِلِ لِيُهْدَى لَهُ
Narrated Abu Humaid As-Sa`idi:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) appointed a man called Ibn Al-Lutabiyya to collect the Zakat from Bani Sulaim's tribe. When he returned, the Prophet (ﷺ) called him to account. He said (to the Prophet, 'This is your money, and this has been given to me as a gift." On that, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Why didn't you stay in your father's and mother's house to see whether you will be given gifts or not if you are telling the truth?" Then the Prophet (ﷺ) addressed us, and after praising and glorifying Allah, he said: "Amma Ba'du", I employ a man from among you to manage some affair of what Allah has put under my custody, and then he comes to me and says, 'This is your money and this has been given to me as a gift. Why didn't he stay in his father's and mother's home to see whether he will be given gifts or not? By Allah, not anyone of you takes a thing unlawfully but he will meet Allah on the Day of Resurrection, carrying that thing. I do not want to see any of you carrying a grunting camel or a mooing cow or a bleating sheep on meeting Allah." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) raised both his hands till the whiteness of his armpits became visible, and he said, "O Allah! Haven't I have conveyed (Your Message)?" The narrator added: My eyes witnessed and my ears heard (that Hadith).
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 6979
In-book reference: Book 90, Hadith 26
USC-MSA web (English) reference(deprecated numbering scheme): Vol. 9, Book 86, Hadith 108