Once Omar ibn al Khattab [ra] hired a work horse for some business. On the way to his destination, the cloth that was hanging on his shoulder fell off while he was occupied in reciting the Qur'an. Omar [ra] did not notice this until someone drew his attention to it after he had left the place where the cloth had fallen. Omar [ra] dismounted the horse and asked the man to guard it. He returned on foot to that place and brought back his cloth. Upon returning to the work horse, the man who brought this cloth to Omar's attention asked him two questions. The first was why he returned on foot instead of riding the horse. Omar's reply was that because the horse was not his, and its lease contract did not include that he would return on it if his dress fell off in way; So, he feared it would be dishonesty if he returned on back of the mare. Then the man asked him the second question, "Why didn't you order me to bring it to you while you stay on horseback at your place?" Omar replied, "Have I got any authority over you to order you to perform any of my own business?"
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