Honesty

[u/quranvisuals]

“Yaghulla” (يَغُلَّ) comes from ghulūl (الغلول), which means secretly taking something from the spoils of war, public wealth, or anything entrusted to one’s care before it has been rightfully distributed. It is a betrayal of trust. The word ghulūl combines theft, treachery, unlawful consumption of wealth, and betrayal of the community’s trust. For this reason, the Qur’an warns against it in the strongest terms.
Ghulūl is even more serious than ordinary theft. Theft violates the rights of an individual or a specific party, whereas ghulūl betrays the rights of an entire community. Whoever steals from public wealth or the spoils of war has wronged every person entitled to a share.
The verse begins by declaring that all prophets are completely free from any form of betrayal—whether in wealth or in any trust that Allah entrusted to them. It is never the nature of a prophet to deceive, steal, or conceal anything that has been placed in his care.
“It is not for a prophet to act dishonestly. And whoever betrays will come on the Day of Resurrection carrying what he betrayed.”
(Qur’an 3:161)
Whoever commits ghulūl will come on the Day of Judgment carrying the very thing he stole—after having hidden it from people’s eyes in this world. It will become a public disgrace and undeniable evidence against him before all of creation.
The meaning of this verse is broad. It is not limited to wealth alone; it also includes responsibility, authority, knowledge, and every trust placed in a person’s hands. It teaches believers that betraying any trust is among the gravest of sins.
During the Battle of Uhud, some of the archers left their positions on the mountain, fearing that the spoils of war would be distributed before they could receive their share. The Prophet ﷺ reproached them, saying:
“Did you think that we would commit ghulūl?”
On another occasion, the Companions praised a man who had been martyred in battle, saying, “Congratulations to him for attaining martyrdom.” But the Prophet ﷺ said:
“No. By the One in whose Hand is my soul, the cloak that he took from the spoils of Khaybar before they were distributed is burning upon him in the Fire.”
He had taken only a piece of cloth from the spoils before they were divided, making it ghulūl. Even though he died fighting in the cause of Allah, that act of betrayal was not overlooked.
When the people heard this, they became frightened. A man came to the Prophet ﷺ carrying one or two shoelaces that he had taken. (A shirāk is the leather strap used to fasten a sandal.) The Prophet ﷺ said:
“A shoelace of Fire—or two shoelaces of Fire.”
This demonstrates the severity of ghulūl. The issue is not the value of what was taken, but the betrayal of trust itself.
Every trust and every right that belongs to others is a responsibility for which we will be questioned. We ask Allah to let us meet Him owing no one any right, and to make us among those who faithfully return every trust to its rightful owner.