Fulfil your promises because you will be answerable to Allah for these promises!

Bismillahir Raḥmanir Raḥīm

Allah Taʿāla says,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ }المائدة: 1{

Rasulullāh ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam has stated,

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: " آيَةُ المُنَافِقِ ثَلاَثٌ: إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ، وَإِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَانَ "(صحيح البخاري (1/ 16))

Most respected elders and friends, mothers and sisters in Islām,

One person once said that there are millions of human beings in the world but at the same time there are very few human beings. Outward and apparently it seems to be an inconsistency. How can there be millions of human beings on one side and on the other side we say that there are no human beings.

When he was asked to clarify he said, "In flesh and blood, there are many human beings, millions of them. But true human beings who live with values of the human beings are very few."

Many of us have confined the issue of Iṣlāh and reformation to only our outward appearance, or maybe to the acts of ʿibadāt (worships). We come to our masjid, and perform our salāt, make some tilāwah of qur’ān, make some ẓikr, probably give some ṣadaqah and charity, wear a sunnah clothing and keep a beard. These are all important issues and we should not lose sight of these things.

But with that, the internal value of the human being is equally important. And that is our muʿāmalāt, our dealings with people, even in the outside world.

As Muslims, our submission to All Mighty Allah Taʿāla is in our 24 hour life cycle. So it’s not only to the masjid, it’s not only restricted to a few actions and deeds.

When we assess our life, we observe that probably in every step and move of our life, we are bound to some terms, some conditions and some agreements. Every step and move of our life.

Firstly as the citizen of the country, we are bound to the regulation of the country. And as a principle of Sharīʿah, if a Muslim is living in a non-Muslim country, he is bound by all those rules and regulation of the country which are not contrary to Islam. Those rules and regulations which are un-islāmic, we cannot abide by them.  

Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam has mentioned,

 

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا طَاعَةَ لِمَخْلُوقٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الْخَالِقِ» (السنة لأبي بكر بن الخلال (1/ 114)) و لفظ رواية مسند أحمد باسنادالصحيح على شرط الشيخين عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: " لَا طَاعَةَ لِمَخْلُوقٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ (مسند أحمد ط الرسالة (2/ 333))

In obedience of Allah Taʿāla, we cannot disobey Allah Taʿāla and obey a human being. Yes of course, if there are any laws of the country that are un-islāmic and problematic for us, then too we will not take the laws in our own hands. We will try to exhaust efforts and look for avenues to look for concessions for that law.

Secondly, when a child goes to school, he is bound by the terms and conditions of the school or the administration of the school. Maybe not him directly, but his guardians will be responsible. His guardians would be expected to abide by the terms and conditions of that school.

And as you go further in life, a person has to seek employment or work somewhere, where he has to abide by the contractual agreement between him and his employer. What time he must go to work? What duties he must do? What would be the wages and remunerations? These are all the terms and conditions which he is expected to abide by.

Going on further if a person happens to get married, then as a responsible husband, he enters into an agreement with his wife. That I will provide for her maintenance; I will provide for her shelter; I will provide for her food. This is part and parcel of the marital condition.

In Bukhāri Sharīf, there is an incident mentioned about Hinda raḍiallāhu ʿanha. She came to Rasūlullah ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam and said, "O Prophet of Allah, my husband withholds money, and he doesn’t support me and my child properly, so can I take some of his wealth without his permission" So Nabī al-Karīm ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam  mentioned, "Whatever is due to you and your child from your husband's wealth you may take (but you may take only the principle amount, not more than that.)

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا: أَنَّ هِنْدًا  قَالَتْ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ رَجُلٌ شَحِيحٌ، فَأَحْتَاجُ أَنْ آخُذَ مِنْ مَالِهِ، قَالَ: «خُذِي مَا يَكْفِيكِ وَوَلَدَكِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ» (صحيح البخاري (9/ 71))

When a person becomes a father, then he has an agreement responsibility to maintain his child. Likewise, if a person happens to do business, muʿāmalāt, buying and selling; probably everything we buy today when it comes to electronics or any kind of machine, there would be some kind of guarantees with it with terms and conditions. So almost everything in our life, whatever we come across, from morning to the evening, directly or indirectly, we are bound by some terms and some agreement or conditions.

Sharīʿah has emphasized on us to abide by the agreements, terms and conditions. That is the nature we should try to inculcate within ourselves. Wherever there are terms and condition, and such terms and conditions which are according to Sharīʿah and not its confliction, we should fine in ourselves to abide by them. 

All Mighty Allah Taʿāla tells us this in Qur’ān al-Karīm in Sūrah al-Mā’idah, a chapter where most laws of the Sharīʿah are mentioned. It mentions "يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ" – O you who believe, fulfil your ʿUqūd. ʿUqūd refers to contractual agreements. In tafsīr it refers to all forms of agreements. Allah has mentioned it in plural form, meaning to refer to wherever the conditions are found, and not just one condition.

In one place in the Qur’ān where Allah speaks about some of the outstanding qualities of the mu’minūn.

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
The mu'minūn are successful…

and after mentioning a few qualities, one of the quality which is mention is

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ
and (believers are) those when Amānah is given to them (i.e something is entrusted to them) then they consider it (look after it) and they also consider any terms and conditions and agreements they have (and try to fulfil them).

In one verse in Qur’ān, Allah Taʿāla says,

وَأَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْئُولًا }الإسراء: 34{

Fulfil promises (including all agreements, because whatever agreement you will enter) for indeed the promises, you will be answerable to Allah (on the day of qiyāmah)

In one verse we also understand that when a person happens to make some agreements, if he is not sensitive to it, and doesn’t care about it; he thinks it is something out of our religion and just a worldly issue, and doesn’t fulfil the terms and conditions, then such a person is condemned. So Allah Taʿāla says,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ }الصف: 2{
…Why do you say something that you do not do?

You said that you will fulfil the agreement, but now you do not do that. So, Allah condemns in retort, "Why do you say something you don’t do?".

Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam in one of the ḥadīth has very strongly condemned this.

آيَةُ المُنَافِقِ ثَلاَثٌ: إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ، وَإِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَانَ

The signs of a munāfiq (nifāq and hypocrisy) are three. The real hypocrisy was at the time of Rasūlullah ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam, but now you find signs of hypocrisy.

One is إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ , when a person speaks, he speaks a lie. He is not careful with his tongue. He just wants to hide something and conceal something. Sometimes when one lies in joking too, even that is prohibited. Whether in real or in jest, it is not permissible for a person to speak any lies.

وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ, When a person makes a promise, he goes against the promise. In agreements, the person put the condition that he will fulfil the agreement.

وَإِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَانَ, When something is entrusted a person, he embezzles in that. These are the signs of Nifāq and signs of hypocrisy.

When we look into the life of Rasūlullah ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam and lives of Saḥāba, they were very sensitive to agreements. They didn’t just regard it to be a worldly issue. They knew the value in these agreements to be fulfilled.

During the battle of Badr, when Abu Sufiyān raḍiallāhu ʿanha was leading the camp of the kuffār. He was taking a caravan and going to Shām (Syria or Lavant). Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam learnt about the caravan and decided to attack the caravan. But the caravan escaped and Allah Taʿāla made it such that they had a confrontation with the Kuffār (disbelievers) of Makkah Mukarramah.

By the time Abu Sufiyān and his caravan went away, they had sent a message to the people of Makkah, and Abu Jahl came with an army and that’s why they met in the place of Badr. On the way, while they were coming to Madīnatul Munawwarah, they met a father and son; Sayiduna Ḥuẓaifah ibn Yamān (i.e. Yamān and his son Ḥuẓaifah) raḍiallahu ʿanhuma. Both were coming to meet Rasūlullah ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam. Abu Jahl asked them, "Where are you going?". They were quite clear and candid, "We are going to meet Muhammad ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam". They said that we cannot let you go, because you will go there and obviously you will join the enemy's camp against us. Hence we cannot allow you to go.

So the father and the son, Yaman and Huzaifa raḍiallahu ʿanhuma said to Abu Jahl, "If you let us go, we promise that we will not join the army to figh against you if the war has to take place". With that condition, Abu Jahl released them.

The battle of Badr took place. Muslims were so enthusiastic to go into that war. Whoever was present, Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam took them and went. Ḥuẓaifah ibn Yamān , the father and the son told Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam that we have witnessed and seen the oppression and tyranny of the enemies, so let us join you. But they also informed Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam about the condition with which Abu Jahl had released them. Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam mentioned that never mind that it Battle of Badr, and a main war, and is fāriq bayn al haqq wal bātil, but you have entered into an agreement, and you need to respect that agreement. Hence Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam did not allow them to join them. How sensitive was Rasūlullah ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam with the agreements. Had it been us, we would have looked for some ta’wīl and interpretation.

حَدَّثَنَا حُذَيْفَةُ بْنُ الْيَمَانِ، قَالَ: مَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ أَشْهَدَ بَدْرًا إِلَّا أَنِّي خَرَجْتُ أَنَا وَأَبِي حُسَيْلٌ، قَالَ: فَأَخَذَنَا كُفَّارُ قُرَيْشٍ، قَالُوا: إِنَّكُمْ تُرِيدُونَ مُحَمَّدًا، فَقُلْنَا: مَا نُرِيدُهُ، مَا نُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْمَدِينَةَ، فَأَخَذُوا مِنَّا عَهْدَ اللهِ وَمِيثَاقَهُ لَنَنْصَرِفَنَّ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، وَلَا نُقَاتِلُ مَعَهُ، فَأَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ الْخَبَرَ، فَقَالَ: «انْصَرِفَا، نَفِي لَهُمْ بِعَهْدِهِمْ، وَنَسْتَعِينُ اللهَ عَلَيْهِمْ» (صحيح مسلم (3/ 1414))

Like it comes in the ḥadīth "الحَرْبُ خَدْعَةٌ", that the war is all about deception. Hence break the agreement and go in the battle. Theirs was a clear agreement, and Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam did not even allow them to go against it.

 قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «الحَرْبُ خَدْعَةٌ» (صحيح البخاري (4/ 64))

Again in a battle of Badr, when the ransom money was taken from the prisoners, the son in law of Rasūlullah ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam, Sayiduna Abul ʿās raḍiallahu ʿanhu was also taken captive. He sent a message to his wife, Sayyidatuna Zaynab raḍiallahu ʿanha, who was in Makkah, to send some ransom money. 

She didn’t send any money, instead she sent a piece of jewellery. The jewllery which her mother Sayyidatuna Khadija raḍiallahu ʿanha gave her during her marriage. When Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam saw the necklace, tears came out of the eyes of Rasūlullah ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam. Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam felt that my daughter has come to this point that the necklace given by her mother in honour of her nikāh, is being sent to release the husband.

Tears flowed from the eyes of the Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam. He then told the saḥāba that if you all allow, I will return this necklace with one condition. He told to Abul `Aas raḍiallahu ʿanhu, who was not a Muslim at that time, that I release you on condition that you go to Makkah and you send my daughter to Madīnah.

عن عائشةَ قالت: لما بعثَ أهلُ مكةَ في فداء أسْرَاهُم بعثتْ زينبُ في فداء أبي العاصِ بمالٍ، وبعثتْ فيه بقِلادةٍ لها كانت عند خديجةَ أدخلَتْها بها على أبي العاص، قالت: فلما رآها رسولُ الله -صلَّى الله عليه وسلم- رقَّ لها رِقَّةً شديدةً، وقال: "إن رأيتُم أن تُطلِقُوا لها أسيرَها وتردُّوا عليها الذي لها" فقالوا: نعم، وكان رسولُ الله -صلَّى الله عليه وسلم- أخذ عليه، أو وَعَدَه، أن يُخلّيَ سبيلَ زينبَ إليه، وبعثَ رسولُ الله -صلَّى الله عليه وسلم- زيدَ بن حارثةَ ورجلاً من الأنصارِ، فقال: "كونا ببطن يَأْجِج حتى تمرَّ بكما زينب فتصحباها حتى تأْتيا بها"   (سنن أبي داود (4/ 328))

In Bukhāri Sharīf, in first volume under Kitābus Siyar, there is a ḥadīth where Rasūlullah salallahu alyhi wasallam praised his in-laws. In-laws here referred to Abul `Aas raḍiallahu ʿanhu. Rasūlullah ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam says, "وَوَعَدَنِي فَوَفَى لِي" that he made a promise to me and he fulfilled it. Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam praised him.

ذَكَرَ صِهْرًا لَهُ مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ شَمْسٍ، فَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ فِي مُصَاهَرَتِهِ إِيَّاهُ، قَالَ: «حَدَّثَنِي، فَصَدَقَنِي وَوَعَدَنِي فَوَفَى لِي، وَإِنِّي لَسْتُ أُحَرِّمُ حَلاَلًا، وَلاَ أُحِلُّ حَرَامًا، وَلَكِنْ وَاللَّهِ لاَ تَجْتَمِعُ بِنْتُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَبِنْتُ عَدُوِّ اللَّهِ أَبَدًا» (صحيح البخاري (4/ 83))

In Bukhāri Sharīf again, in a ḥadīth it is mentioned about Jābir raḍiallahu ʿanhu. Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam once told him, "لَوْ قَدْ جَاءَنِي مَالُ البَحْرَيْنِ لَقَدْ أَعْطَيْتُكَ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا", i.e If wealth from Baḥrain comes, then I will give you like this like this like this (referring to three hand full). By the time Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam passed away, the wealth of Bahrain had not come. In the time of Sayiduna Abu Bakr al-Sidīq raḍiallahu ʿanhu, the booty from Bahrain came. So Abu Bakr raḍiallahu ʿanhu announce to people and said, "If Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam had any agreement with anyone, to give them anything or if Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam owed someone anything, then come to me and I will fulfil it."

Jabir raḍiallahu ʿanhu came to Abu Bakr al-Sidīq raḍiallahu ʿanhu and told him that Nabī ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam had promised to give him from the wealth of Bahrain. So Abu Bakr al-Sidīq raḍiallahu ʿanhu gave him. Jabir raḍiallahu ʿanhu came a second time and Abu Bakr al-Sidīq raḍiallahu ʿanhu did not give. The third time Jabir raḍiallahu ʿanhu came he said to Abu Bakr al-Sidīq raḍiallahu ʿanhu, "Either you give me, or you become a bakhīl (miser) from me."

Sayiduna Abu Bakr al-Sidīq raḍiallahu ʿanhu said to him that every time you spoke to me and asked me, I had full intention of fulfilling. Anyway, take it. So he takes a handful. These were all dirham and dinārs. Then he asked Jabir raḍiallahu ʿanhu to count how much in the handful? The handful was equivalent to 500 dirhams. Abu Bakr raḍiallahu ʿanhu told him that in fulfilling the promise of Rasūlullah ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam, he had said "like this" three times, so take double the amount of what is in one handful (i.e. 500 dirhams). So he gave a total of 1500 dirhams to Jabir raḍiallahu ʿanhu and gave a fulfilment for the agreement of Rasūlullah ṣalallāhu ʿalyḥi wasallam.

سَمِعَ جَابِرًا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَوْ قَدْ جَاءَنِي مَالُ البَحْرَيْنِ لَقَدْ أَعْطَيْتُكَ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا» ، فَلَمْ يَجِئْ حَتَّى قُبِضَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَلَمَّا جَاءَ مَالُ البَحْرَيْنِ، أَمَرَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُنَادِيًا فَنَادَى: مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَيْنٌ أَوْ عِدَةٌ فَلْيَأْتِنَا، فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ: إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَحَثَا لِي ثَلاَثًا، – وَجَعَلَ سُفْيَانُ يَحْثُو بِكَفَّيْهِ جَمِيعًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَنَا: هَكَذَا قَالَ لَنَا ابْنُ المُنْكَدِرِ -، وَقَالَ مَرَّةً فَأَتَيْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ، فَسَأَلْتُ، فَلَمْ يُعْطِنِي، ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ فَلَمْ يُعْطِنِي، ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ الثَّالِثَةَ فَقُلْتُ: سَأَلْتُكَ فَلَمْ تُعْطِنِي، ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُكَ فَلَمْ تُعْطِنِي، ثُمَّ سَأَلْتُكَ فَلَمْ تُعْطِنِي، فَإِمَّا أَنْ تُعْطِيَنِي، وَإِمَّا أَنْ تَبْخَلَ عَنِّي قَالَ: قُلْتَ: تَبْخَلُ عَنِّي؟ مَا مَنَعْتُكَ مِنْ مَرَّةٍ إِلَّا وَأَنَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُعْطِيَكَ، قَالَ سُفْيَانُ، وَحَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، فَحَثَا لِي حَثْيَةً وَقَالَ: عُدَّهَا فَوَجَدْتُهَا خَمْسَ مِائَةٍ، قَالَ: فَخُذْ مِثْلَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ، وَقَالَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ المُنْكَدِرِ: وَأَيُّ دَاءٍ أَدْوَأُ مِنَ البُخْلِ (صحيح البخاري (4/ 90))

When Bayt al Maqdis was conquered, ʿUmar raḍiallahu ʿanhu had taken the Muslim army to take care of matters. There were non-Muslim citizens there from among the Jews and Christians. In the later times, there arose a need for this army (which was kept for the safety of the Jews and Christian around the Bayt al Maqdis) to be reinforced elsewhere. Umar raḍiallahu ʿanhu used to collect jizya (amnesty tax) from these Jews and Christians. He said that since the jizya was for the safety of these non-Muslims, and now the army is not available to give safety, hence all the tax ought to be returned to the non-Muslims.

Agreements are such an important thing. We ought to be sensitive to them and fulfil them appropriately. We are so unfortunate that we regard agreements to be a worldly matter, and do not regard it to be serious.

Now let’s see some examples where we go against the agreements. E.g.

Traffic Laws: The moment you are in a public domain, it is expected of you to be considerate to the next person. Fuqahā’ mention that when you are walking in public, you may not even wear such a big clothing jubba/sheet where there is a chance for a person walking behind you may trip over it. This is because you are a threat to the next person. Even your clothing must not put the next person into harm and danger. If that is about clothing, imagine what to think about driving and everything else.

The saddest part of it all is that, after people break all the rules and laws and get their speeding fines, now they send questions to the Darul Iftaa. Can we use interest money to pay off these fines? Can we do this or can we do that?

(Fiqh on those matters) is a difference issues, but in terms of Sharīʿah, we ought to be sensitive to the laws.

Even to the extent that Fuqahā’ have mentioned that if one person living next to a neighbour, and wishes to climb the tree. But by him climbing that tree top, he may look into the house of the neighbour, where the privacy of the neighbour is going to be compromised. In such a case, he must inform the neighbour beforehand, and take permission so that they may do their pardah and secure themselves (from a non-maḥram's gaze). Sharīʿah has emphasized consideration to such a level.

Another important aspect where we go against the terms and conditions is the employment agreements. Just the other day we received a question stating that the person's work hours are 8 hours. The person says that he finishes his work in 2 hours, and then come out. However, at the end of the month I get paid according to the 8 hours per day work. Is that permissible or not?

Obviously it will depend, if the employer is paying for the job being done, or for the hours. If he just wishes for the work to be completed, then it’s fine that you do your work and get your full pay. But if he has hired you in terms of time such that you have to give 8 hours, then at the end of the month ask yourself whether it’s justified to take the amount for full 8 hours, while you only provided a fraction of it. This is a matter of Amānah and a matter of Diyānah.

Another important matter we always face is where we have these municipality bills coming for Lights and Electricity etc. So many people tamper with the meters and defraud the municipality. In terms of Sharīʿah, it is not permissible at all. We must be truthful and honest. It is not like that such tempering has nothing to do with Dīn and Sharīʿah. It is completely haram and impermissible.

And just in conclusion of how important this issue is, Haḍrat Maulāna Ashraf ʿAli Thānvi raḥimahullah was once travelling and had some extra luggage. The porter at the train station knew Maulāna and said to him to put the extra luggage there and not to worry about it. Maulāna was completely prepared to pay for the extra luggage, but the porter said to leave it and not to worry.

So Maulāna asked him, "If you will allow it now, then what about the next station?" The porter said, "I have made the arrangement with another porter there not to charge you." "And what about the next?" asked Maulāna. Maulāna said, "My journey is much further than that."

The porter asked, "Where is your journey to?"

Maulāna said, "My journey is not till this duniya, it is till the ākhirah (hereafter). So can you make arrangement for me on that side?"

So we must be sensitive in our terms, condition and agreements. Sometimes, even when travelling by aeroplane, some people try to bypass small issues. I always advocate to all these travelers to be truthful and honest. Never violate the laws, and you will be more on the safer side, than putting yourself into trouble.

May Allah give us the ability, Āmīn.

Majlis by Hadhrat Mufti Ebrahim Desai Saheb Madda zillohu
Date : 18th September, 2014
Location : Masjid us Saliheen