When the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) migrated from Makkah to Madinah, he left behind Amirul Mu’mineen in Makkah so that he could return the possessions entrusted to the Prophet, back to their respective owners.
Handhalah Ibn Abi Sufiyaan instructed U’mair Ibn Waail to go to Ali and tell him:
“I had placed one hundred mithqaal8 of gold with the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). Since he has fled to Madinah and you are his representative here, please handmy property back to me.” Handhalah added that if Ali asked for witnesses to support the claim, all the Quraish would testify to the veracity of U’mair’s claim.
Initially, U’mair was hesitant but Handhalah enticed him by presenting him with some gold and a necklace belonging to Hind, the wife of Abu Sufiyaan.
U’mair approached Ali (a.s.) and made the claim, adding thatAbu Jahl, I’krimah, U’qbah, Abu Sufiyaan and Handhalah would testify for him.
The Imam (a.s.) retorted, “May their deception rebound on themselves”, and then asked him to bring his witnesses near the Ka’bah. When all of them had arrived, he began questioning each one, individually and separately, about the items being held in trust.
“What time was it when you had placed your possession with Muhammad (s.a.w.)?” he questioned U’mair first.
“It was morning when I gave him the gold and he handed it over to his servant,” replied U’mair.
H. Ali (a.s.) asked Abu Jahl the same question.
He replied, “I have no idea.”
When Abu Sufiyaan was questioned, he responded, “It was at sunset and he had placed it in his sleeves.”
When Handhalah was questioned, he gave the answer,“He took possession of the gold at the time of Dhuhr and placed it in front of him.”
When U’qbah was questioned, he replied, “It was A’sr when the Prophet took the possession in his own hands and carried it to his house.”
And finally, when the Imam (a.s.) questioned I’krimah, he answered, “It was bright and early in the morning when Muhammad (s.a.w.) took possession of it and sent it to the house of Fatimah (a.s.).”
The Imam (a.s.) then informed them of their conflicting statements and their deception thus became apparent.
Then, turning to U’mair, he asked him, “Why was it that while you lied, you appeared uneasy and your face had gone pale?”
U’mair replied, “By the Lord of the Ka’bah! I had not placed anything in trust with Muhammad (s.a.w.). It was a deception Handhalah had bribed me into. This necklace here, belonging to Hind, with her name inscribed on it, is one of the things presented to me as a bribe. ( Rahnamaa-e-Sa’adat, vol. 2, pg. 435; Naasikh al-Tawaareekh – Amirul Mu’mineen, pg. 676. )