Keep Your Promise

A’ūdhu biLlāhi mina sh-shayṭāni r-rajīm. Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm:

“أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ”, “Wa ‘Awfu bil Uqūd”, “Fulfill (your) obligations.”

(Qur’an 05:01)

Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla says, what you promise, you must do. You must do it. Especially, if you want to make something with other people, you must accept and not say, “I didn’t say this. I do not agree with this.” From the beginning, you must not quickly accept, you must look and think if it is suitable for you, if it will benefit you. And if you accept what you will do, you must write it down between you and others. What you agree for, you write and accept. Put a signature. Or if you don’t know how to write, put a finger stamp. But you must do this because many times, maybe without knowing, you deny this. You say, “I didn’t say this. I don’t remember this.” But when it is written on paper, you will not deny. It cannot be denied. And you cannot forget.

In this time, these days, even with paper, most people do not accept. After that, they become enemy to each other. And what’s worse than this, the barakah will be gone. There won’t be barakah anymore when you are saying this. Because what you promised, you didn’t do. And to make a promise and not do it is the biggest sign of a hypocrite, munāfiq. This is whom Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla doesn’t like. Nobody loves him. The munāfiq is a very terrible thing. “إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ”, “Inna l-Munāfiqīna Fī Ad-Darki Al-‘Asfali Mina An-Nār”, ‘Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire.’ (Qur’ān 04:145). The munāfiq is the lowest in Jahannam, in Hell.

For this, when you promise, you must do. In old times, for people to say they promise and not do was a big shame. But nowadays, nobody cares about this. But it is important for Muslims, for Mu’min, for believer, especially for ṭarīqah people.

May Allāh ﷻ make us to be from those who keep their promise, because Allāh ﷻ praised them. He ﷻ says, A‘ūdhu biLlāhi mina sh-shayṭāni r-rajīm. Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm: “مِّنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهِ”, “Mina l-mu’minīna rijālun ṣadaqū mā ‘āhadū Llāha ‘alayhi”, “Among the believers are men true to what they pledged to Allah.” (Qur’an 33:23). These are men who keep their promise. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla and Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam are happy with them. May Allāh ﷻ make us happy with them.

And before you make a promise or do anything, you must think whether you will do it or not do it. This is also very important. Maybe you are coming excited saying, “Yes I will do this, I will do that.” And after that you are not doing. You promised the people. But after that, these people will be saying to you, “You are a liar. If you do not keep your promise, you are a munāfiq, hypocrite.” In shā’a Llāh, may Allāh ﷻ make us to keep our promise, in shā’a Llāh. Especially for Allāh ﷻ, for Prophet ﷺ, for mashāyikh, in shā’a Llāh. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 

20 February 2025/ 21 Sha’ban 1446

Fajr Prayer – Sheikh Nazim Dergah; London, UK