I was sweeping the floor of my uncle’s date stall when I first heard the raised voices. Normally, I kept my head down—I was only thirteen, and trouble between men was above my place. But this time, the shouting made everyone on the street stop and stare. Two men were yelling, each gripping opposite sides of a colorful patterned cloth.
“It’s mine!” one of them barked, his face red with anger.
“I sold it to him!” shouted the other, pointing to a third man who stood quietly, looking nervous.
I stepped closer. The cloth was a thick woollen shawl, the kind travelers wore on long journeys. One man claimed he’d lost it. The other said he’d bought it fair and square. The third couldn’t say much—he swore he had found it on the road.
A crowd gathered. Everyone was talking, debating, taking sides. There was no clear proof, no way to know who was telling the truth. I felt tightness in my chest. What if this turned into a fight? What if someone got hurt? Just then, someone whispered, “Let’s take this to the Prophet ﷺ.”
He was in the masjid—our gathering place and mosque. From where I stood, I could already see him coming, his walk calm and steady. I never saw Prophet Muhammad ﷺ hurry or panic. His peace would spread like cool water in the desert heat.
We followed behind quietly, even the angry men fell silent. They explained the story, each sticking to his version. I tried to understand—how do you settle a matter when both sides sound so sure?
Without taking sides or raising his voice, the Prophet ﷺ looked at them for a moment and said, “If two people bring a dispute to me and one is more skilled in speaking, I may judge in his favor. But if he lies and takes what is not his right, then he is only taking a piece of the Fire.” (This was as narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 7185.)
His words hit hard. Fire. As in Jahannam — the Hellfire. A cloth wasn’t worth that price. Both men went quiet, their anger replaced by fear and shame. Slowly, the one who claimed it was his stepped back and said, “I don’t want it anymore—not if there’s any doubt.”
Then the buyer spoke. “If it belongs to someone else, I want no part in unfairness.” Even the third man, the traveler, whispered, “Then let it be given in charity.”
In that moment, I understood more than I had in any lesson: the Prophet ﷺ didn’t judge just with facts—he guided hearts with fairness and reminded them of the Hereafter. He didn’t choose sides. He showed them—and all of us—that true justice comes with God’s fear, not just arguments.
As we walked away, I kept thinking how peace returned not when someone “won,” but when they all chose to do what pleased Allah.
Nothing felt more powerful than that.
—
Story Note: Inspired by the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari 7185 about the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ wisdom in settling disputes and warning people not to lie to win judgments, emphasizing justice and fear of Allah.
I was sweeping the floor of my uncle’s date stall when I first heard the raised voices. Normally, I kept my head down—I was only thirteen, and trouble between men was above my place. But this time, the shouting made everyone on the street stop and stare. Two men were yelling, each gripping opposite sides of a colorful patterned cloth.
“It’s mine!” one of them barked, his face red with anger.
“I sold it to him!” shouted the other, pointing to a third man who stood quietly, looking nervous.
I stepped closer. The cloth was a thick woollen shawl, the kind travelers wore on long journeys. One man claimed he’d lost it. The other said he’d bought it fair and square. The third couldn’t say much—he swore he had found it on the road.
A crowd gathered. Everyone was talking, debating, taking sides. There was no clear proof, no way to know who was telling the truth. I felt tightness in my chest. What if this turned into a fight? What if someone got hurt? Just then, someone whispered, “Let’s take this to the Prophet ﷺ.”
He was in the masjid—our gathering place and mosque. From where I stood, I could already see him coming, his walk calm and steady. I never saw Prophet Muhammad ﷺ hurry or panic. His peace would spread like cool water in the desert heat.
We followed behind quietly, even the angry men fell silent. They explained the story, each sticking to his version. I tried to understand—how do you settle a matter when both sides sound so sure?
Without taking sides or raising his voice, the Prophet ﷺ looked at them for a moment and said, “If two people bring a dispute to me and one is more skilled in speaking, I may judge in his favor. But if he lies and takes what is not his right, then he is only taking a piece of the Fire.” (This was as narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari 7185.)
His words hit hard. Fire. As in Jahannam — the Hellfire. A cloth wasn’t worth that price. Both men went quiet, their anger replaced by fear and shame. Slowly, the one who claimed it was his stepped back and said, “I don’t want it anymore—not if there’s any doubt.”
Then the buyer spoke. “If it belongs to someone else, I want no part in unfairness.” Even the third man, the traveler, whispered, “Then let it be given in charity.”
In that moment, I understood more than I had in any lesson: the Prophet ﷺ didn’t judge just with facts—he guided hearts with fairness and reminded them of the Hereafter. He didn’t choose sides. He showed them—and all of us—that true justice comes with God’s fear, not just arguments.
As we walked away, I kept thinking how peace returned not when someone “won,” but when they all chose to do what pleased Allah.
Nothing felt more powerful than that.
—
Story Note: Inspired by the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari 7185 about the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ wisdom in settling disputes and warning people not to lie to win judgments, emphasizing justice and fear of Allah.
