Home
/
Isiam
/
Diseases of the Heart
/
Treachery – A characteristic of the low-minded
Treachery – A characteristic of the low-minded
Jan 22, 2025 3:08 AM

  Muslims should set the best example in keeping their promises, even if it causes them to have to forego some interests.

  Saleem ibn ‘Aamir relates: “There was a [provisional] treaty between Mu‘aawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, and the Romans. However, he marched towards them in order to attack them as soon as the pact would expire. A man, riding a horse, came and said, ‘Allah is the Greatest, Allah is The Greatest! Let there be observance [of terms] and not treachery.’ They turned to look and found that it was ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah, may Allah be pleased with him, who further said, ‘I heard the Prophet saying, ‘Whoever is in a covenant with people should not tie or untie a knot [i.e. take any action against them], until its time is over or he renounces the covenant on a mutual footing.’ Therefore, Mu‘aawiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, went back [without launching an attack].”

  That was how the Companions, may Allah be pleased with him, were raised; they were taught that the consequences of treachery are grave, and so, they avoided it and always stood guard against it. Truly, we are in dire need of following their example and adopting their morals.

  Indeed, treachery has wrought destruction on many people, limited their options and enclosed them in an unbreakable band of disgrace. It is known that a treacherous person’s affairs are never settled and Allah, The Almighty, does not accept from him or her anything, be it repentance or expiation. ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “We do not have anything except the Book of Allah and this sheet of paper about the Prophet . [..] He who breaks a covenant between him and another Muslim, upon him will be the Curse of Allah and that of the angels and all of mankind; from him, neither contrition nor ransom will be accepted.” [Al-Bukhari]

  A treacherous person is vilified both in the worldly life and the Hereafter, when Allah, The Almighty, will expose him before all creatures. Abu Sa‘eed Al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Prophet said: “On the Day of Judgment, there will be a banner raised for every person guilty of betrayal. It will be raised in proportion to the extent of his [or her] culpability; and there is no form of treason more serious than that committed by a ruler.” [Muslim]

  Some scholars consider treachery a grave major sin. Why not, when Allah, The Almighty, Says in a Qudsi Hadeeth: “I will be the Opponent of three types of people on the Day of Resurrection: he [or she] who makes a covenant in My Name, but is unfaithful; he [or she] who sells a free person and devours his price; and the one who employs a laborer and derives his [or her] objective from him [or her], but does not compensate him [or her] for that work.” [Al-Bukhari]

  In his guidelines to the army leaders, the Prophet would command: “Wage war in the Name of Allah and in the Cause of Allah. Destroy those who disbelieve in Allah. Fight and do not embezzle the spoils of war; do not break your pledge; do not mutilate [dead bodies] and do not kill children.” [Muslim]

  Treachery is a trait that suggests meanness and debasement –worse than this –it is a characteristic of hypocrisy. The Prophet said: “He who has the following four [qualities] is a pure hypocrite and whoever has one of them has one characteristic of hypocrisy until he gives it up: if he is entrusted, he betrays [the trust]; whenever he speaks, he tells a lie; when he enters into a covenant, he proves to be treacherous; and when he quarrels, he behaves insolently." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

  If we were to list bad morals, there would be nothing worse than betrayal that leads to hypocrisy and nothing more disgraceful than breaching a covenant.

Comments
Welcome to mreligion comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Diseases of the Heart
Mother's Day – A Historical Synopsis-I
  {And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.} [Quran 17:23]...
Close the Open Doors
  On our journey towards handling the ‎problem of sexual desires that embitter the life of many Muslim ‎young men, let us discuss an important issue that will help you ‎release yourself from the captivity of sexual desires, namely, ‎"closing the open doors”.‎   Here, the words “open doors” stand for everything...
Keep Away from Enmity
  The Muslim has a mission in his life, and is required to be effective, active, tolerant and social, mixing with other people and dealing with them with tolerance and in accordance with the worthy Islamic attitudes and behavior.   Allah Almighty Says (what means): "And hold fast, all of you together,...
Spite
  Spite is a heavy burden that the person carries which results in his own misery, occupies his thinking, ruins his mind and adds to his grief and anxiety. The strange thing is that ignorant people insist on carrying this heavy evil load, until they satisfy their ego and take revenge...
Hardness of Heart
  The hard heart is that which contains a mixture of harshness and toughness; a heart that is void of submission and the sense of turning to Allah The Exalted in repentance at all times. This is the severest punishment ever. This is why the disbelievers are punished with having a...
The Arrows of Satan
  Satan readies himself and chooses his prey carefully. He is determined as he shoots the arrows of looks to go through your eyes, tearing the veils of modesty and chastity. This arouses the desires of the weak heart, which commands the body to pursue the satisfaction of such desires. The...
Mother's Day-An Islam Perspective
  The Prophet, , said that his Ummah (nation) would imitate the previous nations from among the Jews, Christians and Persians. He did not say this, of course, by way of praising their deeds in so much as by way of dispraising and chastising those who do so.   It was narrated...
Excessiveness is the Way of Satan
  When excessiveness befalls some people, they go beyond all limits. Some of these people want to do the most perfect of acts, but they go astray. Facts state that such people end up giving up the performance of these righteous deeds altogether. Ibn Hajar said, “If a person delves into...
Mockery is a disease from Jaahiliyyah
  Allah The Almighty forbids us from mocking people as He Says (what means): {O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them}[Quran 49:11] Adh-Dhahhaak said,   This verse was revealed when members of the Banu Tameem delegation were mocking the poor...
Mother's Day – A Historical Synopsis-II
  Mother's Day: A Historical Synopsis   According to a researcher, “Some historians claim that the celebration of Mother's Day was held first by the ancient Greeks during the celebrations of the spring festival. These celebrations were a gift to the Mother Goddess – Rhea – who was the wife of the...
Related Classification
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.mreligion.com All Rights Reserved