Fulfilling Trusts

BETRAYAL: ATONEMENT & CONSEQUENCE
▪️The atonement (kaffârah) for not fulfilling a particular oath or promise is feeding 10 needy people, clothing them or fasting 3 days. (Refer to 5:89 for full Aayah and note that only trusts with lawful conditions are obligatory to fulfil.)
▪️Regarding those that die without fulfilling their trusts, our prophet (ﷺ) said: “Every traitor (of trusts) will have a flag on the Day of Judgement to identify them according to the amount of their treachery; there is no traitor of greater treachery than the leader who betrays his own people” (Muslim/ Bukhari).

Allah (ﷻ) says in the Qur’an (5:1), “O you who have faith, honour (all) your pledges/contracts*…” Since Islam doesn’t distinguish between religion and state, the above verse relates to *all aspects* of our lives (individual, social and political). It does not only apply to money but to *all* trusts such as repaying debts or appointing someone for a job, position or responsibility. Regarding this, Allah (ﷻ) says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُم بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَن تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُم بِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا

Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due (and most deserving of it) and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.

Amaanah at the Social level

“Everyone of you is a shepherd (leader or trustee) and each one of you is answerable to Allah with regard to the trust that was given to you. [Bukhari & Muslim] We learn from the above hadith that Amaanah is not limited to a select few; rather each and every person carries a part of the trust. A ruler is a trustee and is responsible for the people he leads, a man is responsible for his wife and offspring, a woman is a trustee and is responsible for her household and children. Even the work entrusted to us is a trust, while undoing it is betrayal. From the prophetic traditions, the trusts that is considered most worthy of fulfillment are those related to marital relationships. Secrets and trusts related to this relationship should never be revealed onto outsiders. They should also afford the same courtesy to other families by not investigating others’ livelihoods nor interrogating them about what they did, what they cooked, what they ate, whom they visited or what they wore during each gathering!

Amaanah at the Individual level

A scholar said: ‘Amaanah (trustworthiness) is the core of our faith and its importance/position is like that of the heart to the body, in which it is found in seven limbs: the eyes, ears, tongue, hand, foot, stomach, and the private parts. Whoever betrays the trust of all of them, leaves the circle of faith.’ Another scholar said, ‘Everything that Allāh has obligated upon His servants is a trust, such as: Salah, Zakat, Siyam, and repaying debts.

Accordingly, Amaanah at an individual level is to treat every obligation and blessing that Allah ﷻ has granted us as a trust, and to perform/use them only in accordance with His Will. Thus, our eyesight is a trust, hearing is a trust, our hands and feet are a trust, our tongue is a trust, and our money is also a trust.

﴾يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا لا تَخونُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسولَ وَتَخونوا أَماناتِكُم وَأَنتُم تَعلَمونَ﴿

“O You who have faith! Do not betray Allāh and His Messenger and do not knowingly betray your trusts.”

For a Muslim, the most honorable and holiest pledge is the one which he has made with his Lord and Creator. Fulfilling this pledge doesn’t just mean following rituals but following Allah’s ﷻ way of life.

Islam sees the human being as a trustee of God on earth; it doesn’t regard the human being as a sinful being with sin as the centre of his life. Sin is present in human life but trust and responsibility is the concept that supersedes all other things!

In order for human beings to truly be the trustees of God on earth they must have a great deal of determination as it is not an easy trust. The Quran in (33:72) describes this trust as a responsibility which the earth, mountains and seas could not undertake! But the human chose to carry this challenging responsiblity. This responsibility is also expressed in surah Yaseen (60-61).

In brief, the most important application of this aspect of ‘Amaanah is for the individual to select the way of life which is in accordance with the will of his creator.