Author: Rahmatullah Rahmani
Fulfilling the Promise (Part 7)
Allah has undoubtedly stated that treachery, betrayal, and failure to keep promises and agreements remove trust and belief from people, cause the spread of disorder and chaos, and tear apart the bonds between people, making the powerful weak and humiliated. Allah says: «وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّتِي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِن بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَانًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِيَ أَرْبَى مِنْ أُمَّةٍ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ» Translation: “And do not be like the woman who broke her thread after spinning it. Do not break your oaths because one party is more numerous than the other. Allah will test you by your covenant, and He will make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that in which you differed, and He will uncover the secrets of your hearts.”
Sometimes a person breaks a firm contract and violates it because they expect greater benefits from another contract; or, sometimes a nation has made a treaty and agreement with another nation and, for the sake of greater benefit, breaks that treaty and agreement and throws it away. However, religion considers it ugly for virtues to be trampled underfoot in the market of worldly benefits, and for people to have these treacherous intentions in their hearts. Religion makes it obligatory for individuals and societies to observe honor so that contracts and agreements are respected and protected, whether in poverty or wealth, in victory or defeat, and that people are loyal to contracts, agreements, and commitments in any situation. Therefore, after commanding me to respect covenants and contracts, Allah says: «وَلَا تَتَّخِذُوا أَيْمَانَكُمْ دَخَلًا بَيْنَكُمْ فَتَزِلَّ قَدَمُ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا وَتَذُوقُوا السُّوءَ بِمَا صَدَدتُّمْ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَكُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿۹۴﴾ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا إِنَّمَا عِندَ اللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (۹۵)» Translation: “Do not make your oaths a means of deceit and corruption among yourselves; do not deceive people with false oaths and do not deviate from the right path. If you take oaths and do not fulfill them, this will cause your firm steps (based on faith on the straight path) to slip, and you will suffer misfortune and evil because of your obstruction from the path of Allah (with your improper behavior in this world), and in the Hereafter, you will face great punishment. Do not sell the covenant of Allah for a small price (of this world); surely what is with Allah is better for you the keepers of covenants (than what you break your covenant for), if you only knew the truth and the reality of the times and understood your own good and evil.”
Fulfilling a covenant is obligatory for both believers and disbelievers, because virtue cannot be divided into being stingy and mean towards one group and being generous and honorable towards another. The criterion and standard are the subject of the covenant. As long as the subject of the covenant is honorable and good, fulfilling it is obligatory for everyone at all times. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said about the Half Al-Fozul, the subject of which was good: “If I had been called upon to make such a covenant during the pre-Islamic era, I would have accepted it.”
It was narrated from Amr ibn Hamiq that he said: I heard the Prophet (PBUH) say: “Any man who trusts another man not to shed his blood, and then kills him contrary to his trust, I am indeed averse to the murderer, even if the murdered person is an infidel.” This definitive statement of the truth clearly expresses the spirit of Islam in dealing with and treating non-Muslims.
While you see that the Jews deny keeping their promises to others and are stingy in dealings, considering themselves the sole children of Allah and His friends, thinking that Allah has reserved His mercy and protection only for the tribes of Israel. On the other hand, you see that Islam defends with serious support those upon whom it has conferred responsibility, expressing this rich and valuable statement about disbelievers: «يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحِلُّوا شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ وَلَا الشَّهْرَ الْحَرَامَ وَلَا الْهَدْيَ وَلَا الْقَلَائِدَ وَلَا آمِّينَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَانًا وَإِذَا حَلَلْتُمْ فَاصْطَادُوا وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ أَن صَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَن تَعْتَدُوا وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ» Translation: “O you who have believed, guard the sacred rites of Allah and the sacred month, and the sacrifices of the unmarked animals and the sacrifices of the necks and the wayfarers of the Sacred House, seeking the bounty and pleasure of your Lord. And when you have come out of the state of Ihram, [you may] hunt. And do not let the hatred of those who prevented you from the Sacred Mosque incite you to transgression. And help one another in righteousness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear Allah, for Allah is severe in punishment.”
Pay attention and see how this verse portrays the attitude of the disbelievers and how it condones and accommodates them despite their idolatry, considering them as seekers of Allah’s bounty and pleasure. It calls upon Muslims, no matter how strong they are, to help and support one another in righteousness and piety, and not to be enemies of Allah through transgression and oppression.
Continues…
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