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*40 Hadīths For Children With Stories*
*Episode 9: The Wallet*
Once upon a time, there was an ill-natured merchant who had lost his wallet at the market with 800 gold coins in it. He looked everywhere trying to find it, and asked everyone if they had seen it, but he couldn't find it nor had anyone seen it. Then he hired a town crier to announce that he would give one hundred gold pieces as a reward to anyone who found the wallet.
A man known as Veli the shoemaker found the lost wallet. He was a very honest man. He decided to keep the wallet until he could find its owner. When he heard the town crier making an announcement he went to the trader and gave the wallet back.
The trader was not only ill-natured; he was also stingy and a liar. He was happy that his wallet had been found, but he did not reveal this to Veli.
He opened the wallet and started to count his money, saying:
"Oh! I see you have already taken the money I had promised as a reward."
Veli took hold of the merchant's lapels and shook him.
"How dare you! Yes, I am poor, but I am not a thief or a scoundrel. You don't have to give me the money you promised, but do not accuse me of stealing your money!"
When the merchant did not retract his accusation, they both ended up in court. After listening to both side, the judge realised the merchant was lying. He decided to give him a heavy punishment.
"The merchant says that 100 gold coins were taken from his wallet, yet the shoemaker says that he did not take any money. I believe both parties. I guess the wallet found by the shoemaker was not the merchant's, rather it belongs to somebody else. Therefore, it will stay under protection until the real owner is found.
The miserly merchant regretted his actions, but it was too late. This reminds us one of Prophet's Hadīth:
من لا يشكر الناس لا يشكر الله
رواه الترمذي
*"He who doesn't thank people does not thank Allāh either."*
*[At-Tirmidhi]*
Source of the Hadīth: Tirmidhi, Kitāb al-Birr, Hadīth Number 35.
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