16
Chapter on Keeping Covenants and Fulfilling Promises
Allah the Exalted says: “And fulfil the covenant; indeed, the covenant will be questioned about.” He also says: “Fulfil the covenant of Allah when you have pledged one,” and: “O you who believe, honour your contracts.” And He says: “O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do? Most hateful in the sight of Allah is that you say what you do not do.”
Explanation
The author—may Allah have mercy on him—states: “Chapter on Keeping Covenants and Fulfilling Promises.” A covenant (ʿahd) is whatever a person pledges to another, and it falls into two categories.
- A covenant with Allah. Concerning this, Allah says in His Book: “And when your Lord took from the children of Adam—from their loins—their descendants and made them testify regarding themselves: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They replied, ‘Yes indeed, we testify.’” Allah thus took a covenant from all His servants that they worship Him alone and never associate anything with Him, for He is their Lord and Creator.
باب الوفاء بالعهد وإنجاز الوعد
قال الله تعالى: ﴿وَأَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْؤُولاً﴾ وقال تعالى: ﴿وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِ اللهِ إِذَا عَاهَدتُّمْ﴾ وقال تعالى: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ﴾ قال تعالى: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لاَ تَفْعَلُونَ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لاَ تَفْعَلُونَ﴾
[الشَّرْحُ]
قال المؤلف رحمه الله تعالى (باب الوفاء بالعهد وإنجاز الوعد) العهد: ما يعاهد الإنسان به غيره وهو نوعان عهد مع الله ﷿ فإن الله ﷾ قال في كتابه: وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ قَالُوا بَلَى شَهِدْنَا فقد أخذ الله العهد على عباده جميعا أن يعبدوه ولا يشركوا به شيئا لأنه ربهم وخالقهم