him money, or pledged to help him with some task, or anything at all; once you have given your word you are obliged to keep it. In practical terms, a person should set appointments clearly and precisely. If he says to one of his brothers, “I will meet you at such-and-such a place,” let him also specify the exact hour, so that if the one being awaited is delayed and the one who is waiting departs, he will have a legitimate excuse and will not leave his brother standing there for a long time.

Some foolish people have spread the expression, “I promise you—and I will not break it; my promise is English,” thinking that those who honor their word are the English. The promise that truly deserves to be fulfilled, however, is the promise of the believer. Therefore, when you assure someone of your commitment, say, “This is the promise of a believer,” for only a hypocrite breaks his word.

“As for ‘when he is entrusted, he betrays,’” this means that if people entrust him with their wealth, their secrets, their children, or anything similar, he proves treacherous—Allah’s refuge is sought. This too is one of the signs of hypocrisy.

Regarding the hadith of ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ (may Allah be pleased with them both): “There are four qualities; whoever possesses all of them is a pure hypocrite, and whoever possesses one of them has within him a trait of hypocrisy until he abandons it.” The intent is that all four traits unite only in an outright hypocrite, even though a believer may sometimes fall into one of them.