Honesty

Travelling 2,000 km to return a Pen – عبد الله بن المبارك

Abdullah Ibn al-Mubarak said:

استعرت قلما بأرض الشام فذهب على أن أرده الى صاحبه فلما قدمت مرو نظرت فإذا هو معي؛ فرجعت ، يا أبا علي إلى أرض الشام حتى رددته الى صاحبه

“I borrowed a pen from someone in Sham (Syria), and I intended to return it to its owner.

When I arrived in Merv (in Turkmenistan), I noticed that I still had it with me!

I travelled all the way back to Sham (Syria – 2,000 km away) to return that pen to its rightful owner.”

[“Tareekh Baghdaad”, 10/167].