Your ear has been cut off, and your Lord has spoken the truth.

Umayr ibn Sa’d, may Allah be pleased with him, did not let anyone or anything take precedence over his faith. He once heard a relative, Jalas ibn Suwayd ibn Samit, say: “If the man is truthful, then we are worse than donkeys!” He was referring to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Jalas had embraced Islam out of fear. When Umayr heard these words, he was angered and perplexed: Should he convey what he had heard to the Messenger? How could he do so when conversations are held in confidence? Should he remain silent about what he heard? His dilemma was short-lived. Acting as a devout believer, he said to Jalas: “By Allah, O Jalas, you are among the dearest of people to me, the most beneficial to me, and the one I most wish to protect from anything he dislikes. Indeed, you have just said something that, if I were to repeat it, would harm you; but if I remain silent about it, my religion will be lost. And the obligations of faith deserve more loyalty. I will convey to the Messenger of Allah what you have said.”

However, Jalas was overcome by arrogance in wrongdoing. Umayr left the gathering while saying: “I will surely inform the Messenger of Allah before any revelation descends that shares me in your sin.” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent for Jalas, who denied it and swore falsely by Allah. Then a Quranic verse was revealed, distinguishing between truth and falsehood. Allah, the Exalted, said: “They swear by Allah that they said nothing [evil], yet they have indeed uttered the word of disbelief and have become disbelievers after their submission [to Islam], and they intended that which they could not attain. And they were only resentful because Allah and His Messenger had enriched them from His bounty. So if they repent, it is better for them; but if they turn away, Allah will punish them with a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And they will have no protector or helper on earth.” (Surah At-Tawbah, Verse 74)

Jalas then confessed to his statement and apologized for his mistake. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, took Umayr by the ear and said to him: “O young man, open your ear, and believe in your Lord.”