The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Some day, your Amirs will show favour to wicked people and delay performing the prayer from its fixed times. So, whoever among you sees such a thing, should not take the post of a monitor (‘Areef), policeman (Shurti), revenue officer (Jaabi) or a treasurer (Khaazin).”

ibn Hibban

Shurti: Policeman or security service man. Obviously working in secret services is a compounded crime and even worse and more sinful.

Khaazin: Literally Storage Keeper, mostly used in the meaning of Treasurer.

Jaabi: Collector of state revenues. This even applies to Zakat collection, but also to Kharaaj (land tax), customs and excises, and all other taxes.

‘Areef: Most difficult to translate, literally “Recogniser”. From other Hadeeth evidence we know that a ‘Areef is some one who know the people in a village, city subsection or a sub-tribe, so he could report their opinion, marital status .. etc. This meaning is evidenced and explained by the following incident: After the battle of Hunain the Messenger of Allah decided to set his own prisoners of war of the defeated tribe of Hawaazin free and asked the people in congregation to do the same, possibly in return for a future re-imbursement. The masses shouted: Yes, we do the same, but the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم insisted: “Go to your camps! Your (‘Areefs) will check with each of you one by one and report back to us, so that we know who is really satisfied or not”