يا كميل! إفهم واعلم إنّا لانرخص في تركِ أداء الأمانة لأحدٍ من الخلق فمن روى عنّا في ذلك رخصةً، فقد أبطل وأثم وجزاءُه النار بما كذب، اقسم لسمعت رسول اللّه (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) يقول لي قبل وفاته بساعةٍ مراراً ثلاثاً: يا اباالحسن أدّ الأمانة إلى البرّ والفاجر فيما جلّ وقلّ حتى الخيط والمخيط
One of Imam Ali’s (AS) recommendations to Kumeil Ibn Ziad (one of his companions):
O Kumeil, you have to know and understand that we do not allow any of Allah’s servants to give up [the obligation of] returning what is entrusted with him. Therefore, if one day somebody quotes a recommendation from us that is contradictory to this, [you can be confident that] he is telling a lie and committing a sin, and hell fire is the retribution for his sin. I swear that an hour before his demise, the Holy Prophet, may Allah’s greetings be upon him and his household, told me the following three times: O Ab al-Hassan, return what is entrusted with you to both righteous and evil people whether it is cheap or expensive – even if it is only thread and a needle.
(Tohfatul Oqul, p. 175)
Returning to its owner what is entrusted with us, is extremely important from an Islamic point of view. Even if what is confided to our safekeeping is something cheap, we must do our utmost to preserve and return it to its owner no matter if he is a believer or an adulterer or even an infidel. However, one must note that what is left with us for safekeeping is not necessarily something with material value. It may be the responsibility that we must shoulder or it may be the secrets of those who have confided in us. All of these must be kept safe