In Jerusalem, there once stood the Pilgrims’ Market, now known as the Long Market—a bustling hub of trade and trust. Pilgrims traditionally entrusted their money and belongings to shopkeepers there before departing for Hajj, retrieving them upon their return.
One day, a man from outside Palestine arrived carrying a red pouch containing 3,000 dirhams. He entrusted it to a shopkeeper, who carefully counted the amount and agreed to safeguard it until the man returned from Hajj.
Months later, the pilgrim returned. He went to the shop where he had left the pouch but found the shopkeeper absent. The workers directed him to wait for the owner. When the shopkeeper arrived, the man asked for his pouch.
“How much did you leave with us?” the shopkeeper asked.
“3,000 dirhams,” the man replied.
“What is your name?”
“On which day did you leave the deposit?”
The man answered the questions, though he grew suspicious. Finally, the shopkeeper asked, “What was the color of the pouch?”
“Red,” the man replied.
The shopkeeper then excused himself, offering the man a meal and saying he had an urgent matter to attend to. After some time, the shopkeeper returned with a red pouch containing 3,000 dirhams. The man counted the money, confirmed it, and left with gratitude.
An Unexpected Revelation
As the man walked through the market, he noticed something strange. To his surprise, he realized he had mistakenly entered the wrong shop earlier. Embarrassed, he went to the correct shopkeeper, explained what had happened, and received the red pouch with the exact amount he had originally deposited.
The man was shocked and shared his story. The neighbors questioned the first shopkeeper about why he gave money to a stranger. His reply was profound:
“By God, I did not know him, nor did I remember having any trust from him. But when I saw his confidence in me and realized he was a stranger in this land, I feared that if I didn’t give him his money, he would leave heartbroken. He would return to his family and say that his money was stolen in Jerusalem, tarnishing the reputation of all Palestinians not just one person. I remembered the verse from the Qur’an: ‘So let him who is entrusted fulfill his trust and let him fear Allah, his Lord’ (Al-Baqarah: 283). So I sold some goods for 1,000 dirhams, borrowed 1,500 from a friend, and added 500 dirhams of my own to complete the amount for him.”
A Timeless Lesson
This shopkeeper’s sacrifice was not for fame or fortune but to protect the honor of his community. He feared for the reputation of his people.
Today, we witness a stark contrast: an era where trust is rare, dishonesty is normalized, and consuming others’ wealth unjustly is glorified. Those who sell their religion, land, and honor for fleeting gains betray not only their own souls but the legacy of integrity they inherited.
Let this story be a reminder of the profound value of trust and the weight of betrayal. It challenges us to reflect: If a man went to such lengths to preserve the reputation of his nation, what does it say about those entrusted with land, honor, and people who betray them?
COMMENTS