True Imaan (Conviction in faith) - Story mentioned by Ibn-e-Kathir.

Imaan brings about the ultimate conduct and good character.

There’s a beautiful story mentioned by Ibn Kathir. True order in society can only come about as a result of imaan. Even if all the laws and best police force has been established, there will not be morality.

There was one man from Banu Isra’il who needed to borrow money. He went to another man and asked for a loan. This person then asked who can vouch for him. He said, “Allaah is enough as a wakil.” The man did not argue.

He said, let us at least get a witness. The man said, “Allaah is enough as a witness.” The man did not argue.

There was a river that separated their homes. The borrower promised to meet the man at a certain day and time at this place to return the money to the lender.

The time passed. When the man arrives at the river, the river is over-flowing. The people who normally run the ferries to cross the river are not there. The borrower is sitting there with the money, frustrated that he had given his word and now was in this predicament. He stands and waits, but gets more frustrated. He takes a log, carves a hole in it and puts the money in it. He writes a note to the man that this is the money he owed him and if it reaches him, then it is done.

He throws the log into the river and makes du’aa to Allaah that it reaches the lender. This was out of his frustration from the idea of cheating the man.

On the other side of the river, the man was waiting. He sees the condition and realizes the man cannot come. The time passes so he decides to go home. Before going home though, he wants to pick up some wood. He sees a log floating into the water. He takes it home. When he begins to chop it, he sees the money and the note. His loan is completed.

The borrower, however, is not comfortable in his position. He thinks he should have returned the money as it had been given to him. So he waits some days, the water subsides. He gets some more money and crosses the river to the lender’s home. He tells the man that he has returned to pay him back and how he could not make it previously. The lender could be thinking that he has already received the money, but he could be getting more from him. He told him that he received the log. Their imaan was firm. One man’s imaan wouldn’t let him rest and the other’s wouldn’t let him cheat.