Chapter: One in charge of a matter, who cheats his subjects, deserves the fire

'Ubaidullah b. Ziyad paid a visit to Ma'qil b. Yasar Muzani in his illness of which he (later on) died. (At this juncture) Ma'qil said: I am going to narrate to you a hadith which I have heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and which I would not have transmitted if I knew that I would survive. Verily I have heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: There is none amongst the bondsmen who was entrusted with the affairs of his subjects and he died in such a state that he was dishonest in his dealings with those over whom he ruled that the Paradise is not forbidden for him.

Ubaidullah b. Ziyad went to see Ma'qil b. Yasir and he was ailing. He ('Ubaidullah) inquired (about his health) to which he (Ma'qil) replied: I am narrating to you a hadith which I avoided narrating to you (before). Verily the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed: Allah does not entrust to his bondsman the responsibility of managing the affairs of his subjects and he dies as a dishonest (ruler) but Paradise is forbidden by Allah for such a (ruler). He (Ibn Ziyad) said: Why did you not narrate it to me before this day? He replied: I (in fact) did not narrate it to you as it was not (fit) for me to narrate that to you.

We were with Ma'qil b. Yasar inquiring about his health that Ubaidullah b. Ziyad came there. Ma'qil said to him: Verily I am going to narrate to you a hadith which I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Then he narrated the hadith like those two (mentioned above).

I am narrating to you a hadith which I would have never narrated to you had I not been in death-bed. I heard Allah's apostle (ﷺ) say: A ruler who has been entrusted with the affairs of the Muslims but he makes no endeavors ( for the material and moral uplift) and does not sincerely mean (their welfare) would not enter Paradise along with them.