The Jar of Gold

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) told this story about two men who lived long before his time. Ibn Majah's version begins: "Among those who came before you there was a man", and al-Durar al-Saniyya explains that it happened between two men of the earlier nations, as Ibn Majah's version says. Ibn Hajar, the great scholar who explained al-Bukhari's collection, found no name for the two men or for anyone else in the story (Fath al-Bari, vol. 6, p. 599).[3][4][9]
• One man bought a piece of land from another, and in it the buyer found a jar with gold inside. The Arabic word for what he bought means land and what is joined to it, as al-Nawawi, the great scholar who explained Muslim's collection, explains (vol. 12, p. 382). The buyer said to the seller: "Take your gold, as I have bought only the land from you, but I have not bought the gold from you." The seller answered: "I have sold you the land with everything in it." Ibn Hajar (vol. 6, p. 599) explains that the sale was for the land only: the seller believed that what was in it went with the land, and the buyer believed it did not. Al-Durar al-Saniyya adds that each of them gave the gold up to the other, because he was careful not to take what might not be his and his heart did not want it.[1][10][9][4]
• So they took their case to a man, who asked them: "Do you have children?" One said: "I have a boy." The other said: "I have a girl." Ibn Hajar (vol. 6, p. 600) reports a version in which the one with the boy is the buyer, as in the film. The man told them: "Marry the girl to the boy and spend the money on both of them", and to give charity. Ibn Hajar explains that the spending was for the young couple themselves, and that the two fathers were to give the charity with their own hands, because of the reward in that.[1][9]
• The man they went to did not rule for one against the other. Ibn Hajar (vol. 6, p. 600) reports the view of the scholar al-Qurtubi: he gave no ruling against either of them; he made peace between them, because he saw that the gold was like lost money whose owner no one knows, and that these two had more right to it than anyone else, since he saw how careful and good they were, and he hoped their children and grandchildren would be good too. Al-Durar al-Saniyya explains it the same way. This is why Muslim placed the hadith in his chapter on why it is good for a judge to make peace between the two sides. Al-Nawawi (vol. 12, p. 382) says the hadith shows how good it is to make peace between people who disagree, and that it is good for a judge to do so, just as it is for anyone else.[9][4][2][10]
• After the story the film quotes another saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him), recorded by Ahmad in his Musnad (no. 23074). Two men, Abu Qatada and Abu al-Dahma', came to a man from the desert and asked him whether he had heard anything from the Prophet. He said he had heard him say that you will never give up something for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, without Allah replacing it with something better for you (translation: Qabas). Al-Durar al-Saniyya puts the lesson of the jar of gold the same way: the wise believer keeps away from what is forbidden and from everything that is doubtful, and whoever does so deserves praise and a good reward in this life and the next.[6][7][4]
• The film ends with words of the Quran (At-Talaq 65:2-3): "And whoever fears Allāh - He will make for him a way out" and will provide for him from where he does not expect. Ibn Kathir explains that whoever fears Allah, doing what He commanded and keeping away from what He forbade, Allah "will make a way out for him from every difficulty and will provide for him from resources he never anticipated or thought about." He reports that the companion Ibn Mas'ud called it "The greatest Ayah in the Qur'an that contains relief". The scholar as-Sa'di explains that although these words come in a passage about divorce, they are for everyone: whoever fears Allah and seeks what pleases Him in all he does, Allah rewards him in this life and the next, and part of that reward is a way out of every hardship; and Allah brings what he needs to live to the one who fears Him, from where he does not expect and does not even notice.[11][12][13][14][15]

• Be honest even when no one but Allah sees you: the buyer could have kept the gold in silence, but he gave it back.[1][4]
• Leave what is not clearly yours: the wise believer keeps away from what is forbidden and from everything that is doubtful.[4]
• When people disagree, the best answer is not always a winner and a loser: making peace between them is a good deed, for a judge and for anyone else.[10][9]
• Money found honestly can bring people together: the gold became a marriage, a new family and charity for others.[1][9]
• Whatever you give up for the sake of Allah, He replaces with something better for you.[6][7]
• Fear Allah and trust Him: He makes a way out of hardship and gives you what you need from where you do not expect.[11][12][14][15]

These questions are written by Qabas Anime to help you reflect. They are not part of the hadith, the Quran or their commentaries.

1. Think of a time when you could have kept something that was not yours and no one would have known. What helped you choose, or what would help you next time?
2. Both men tried to give the gold away. What does it take to care more about being fair than about winning?
3. The judge made peace instead of naming a winner. Is there a disagreement in your life where peace would be better than being right?
4. Is there something you have given up for the sake of Allah? What did you receive in its place, perhaps in a way you did not expect?