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Lesson: 33 Fulfilment of Promise from the View Point of Islam
One of the
virtues talked about in the Holy Quran is Keeping of the Promise or Covenant.
It has been mentioned as one of the special and distinct features of the faithful
Mo-mineen. Breaking of promise or breach of a covenant has been called therein
as one of the habits of the polytheist Mushrikeen and hypocrite Munafeqeen.
Before we proceed
to quote the relevant verses and traditions, we should know that not keeping
the word or breaking of promise or trust is one of the offences that break the
relation of confidence and trust in the society and thus its foundation. Fulfilling
a promise, besides being an Islamic right, is also a human right.
In the words
of the religious leaders we read that: there are three occasions when there
should be on consideration of ones religion or good or evil, that is, all should
be regarded equal be they gentlemen or evil doers, Muslims or unbelievers.
These three occasions are: Return of trust, fulfilment of covenant, and good
behaviour with parents.
Keeping of
promise is, some times. Related to man connection with god wherein breach of
promise includes the natural, rational and religious us trusts.
And sometimes
it involves people's relations with one another.
Man's Covenant
with Allah
Here are some
verses about man's trust with God:
And those who
break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation and cut as under that which
Allah has ordered to be joined and make mischief in the land; as for those,
upon them shall be curse and they shall have the evil issue of the abode.
And fulfil
the covenant Allah when you have made a covenant, and do not break the oaths
after making them fast, and you have indeed made Allah a surety for you; surely
Allah knows what you do.
Commentators
have given several meanings of the covenant of Allah but what is obvious is
that it means those promises which men give to god and obviously the words given
to the Holy messengers and the Imams are also the words given to God, and it
includes the promises related with Faith, jihad etc.
And it should
be stated that the religious commands issued through the Holy Prophet of Islam
do contain a kind of the Divine orders and similarly rational obligations which
are the outcome of the God-given faculty of thinking, intelligence, wisdom and
too are linked with bye-covenant.
This is to
say religious obligations and rational demands are covered by Ahdullah or the
promise given to God.
He it is Who
makes you travel by land and sea; until when you are in the ships, and they
sail on with them in a pleasant breeze, and they rejoice, a violent wind overtakes
them and the billows surge in on them from all sides, and they become certain
that they are encompassed about, they pray to Allah, being sincere to Him in
obedience: If Thou dost deliver us from this, we will most certainly be of the
grateful ones. But when He delivers them, lo! they are unjustly rebellious in
the earth.
Yes, many people
make covenant with Allah during their bad days but when they are released from
that trouble, they forget Allah. So we should pray to Allah so that He may not
leave us to ourselves even for a moment.
Promise
Keeping between Man and Man
The Holy Quran
says in this connection: O you who believe! Fulfil the obligations.
Raagib says:
Obligation is of three sorts: sometimes it is between man and God, sometimes
man's promise with himself and sometimes between man and the entire humanity.
Since Al has
come ahead of the word Uqood and as according to grammar it denotes a common
category and from one angle the sentence is fully unconditional it can be derived
that this Holy verse includes all sorts of promises and covenants which must
be fulfilled those between men and man's promise to God and so also all the
political, trade, family etc treaties or understandings.
And the Quran
in another ayat says: and fulfil the promise; surely every promise shall
be questioned about
Amirul Mo-mineen
(a.s.) writes in his letter to Malik Ashtar: From among the divine commandments,
there is no subject like the keeping of promise, which is most unanimously agreed,
despite other disagreements. Therefore even the idol worshippers of the days
of ignorance were respecting the oath among them since they had understood the
harms of oath breaking.
The Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.s.) said: One who does not keep his promise has no religion.
Similarly there
is another narration from Imam Ali (a.s.): Almighty Allah does not accept anything
from His slaves except a good deed and nothing except the fulfilment of oath
is acceptable in His court.
And there is
another narration from Salman Farsi that also has the same meaning: The destruction
of this community will be caused by their breach of promises.
The Holy constitution
of Islam had given importance to oath keeping to such an extent that even if
a common soldier gives protection to a man or group of the enemy it is incumbent
upon all Muslims to keep that promise.
A group of
Islamic scholars is of the opinion that one of the matters which attracted the
idol worshippers and polytheist to Islam in its earlier period was the same
fulfilling of covenants and keeping oaths. In this connection, Hisham bin Saalim
quotes Imam Sadiq (a.s.):
The promise
of a Muslim to another Muslim is a vow for which there is no expiation it means
if he breaks it, it cannot be compensated and, really, it is considered as a
promise given to God. So the Holy Quran says: O group of the faithful! Why do
you not do as you say? Be afraid of this deed of not doing what is said as it
will cause a great Divine anger.
In traditions,
keeping of oaths and promise is considered as one of the signs of faith, like
faith in God and the Hereafter. Hence the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) says: Whoever
has faith in Allah and the Day of Judgement must keep the promise whenever he
makes it.
Hypocrisy
and Breach of a Vow
Hypocrisy and
double face is one of the worst qualities of man and the cause of breaching
vows and ignoring promise. The Holy Prophet has said in this connection: There
are three qualities and conditions which make a man hypocrite even if he fasts
and prays and is a Muslim in his opinions:
1 Shows dishonesty
when trusted,2 Tells a lie while speaking and 3 Breaks a promise.
Again Amirul
Momineen (a.s.) says: Even if one undertakes something through a sign, he should
fulfil it.
Are all
the Promises Honourable?If Islam has made a series of bonds and agreements as honourable, it has also
ordered the breaking of some, for example relating to the enemy, when is felt
that he is on the verge of dishonesty and breaching trust of agreement. In that
case friendship must not be continued. Quranic proof of this is How can there
be an agreement for the idolaters with Allah and with His Apostle when they
continue to break trusts?
At another
place it is mentioned: And if they break their oaths after their agreement
and openly revile your religion, then fight the leaders of unbelief surely oaths
are nothing so that they may desist.
On this ground,
fulfilling an oath has been considered as one of the signs of the faithful and
the wise and as one of the salient human virtue and Islam has consistently emphasised
it and has ordered to ignore a promise given to the enemies of Allah even if
they happen to be ones close relatives. Anyway, much more has been said in the
matter of promise and covenant and its results and fruits. But we think this
much is enough here.
