291 - العَهد

291. THE COVENANT1

1382 - الَحثُّ عَلَى الوَفاءِ بِالعَهدِ

1382. ENJOINMENT OF FULFILLING ONE’S COVENANT

(وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إذا عاهَدُوا) .2

“And those who fulfil their covenants when they pledge themselves.”3

(اُنظر) المؤمنون : 8 و مريم : 54 و الصّف : 2 ، 3 والمعارج : 32 والنحل : 91 .

(See also: Qur’an 23:8, 19:54, 61:2-3, 70:32, 16:91)

4644.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله: المُسلِمونَ عِندَ شُروطِهِم فيما اُحِلَّ .4

4644.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Muslims [make and] fulfil their promises according to what is permissible.’5

4645.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : ألا مَن ظَلَمَ مُعاهَداً ، أوِ انتَقَصَهُ ، أو كَلَّفَهُ فَوقَ طاقَتِهِ ، أو أخَذَ مِنهُ شَيئاً بِغَيرِ طِيبِ نَفسٍ مِنهُ ، فَأنا حَجيجُه يَومَ القِيامَةِ .6

4645.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Verily whoever wrongs any of the people of the covenant (ahl al-dhimma), or denies him some of his right, or burdens him beyond that which he is capable of, or takes something from him without his consent, then I will hold it against him on the Day of Resurrection.’7

4646.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : إذا نَقَضوا العَهدَ سَلَّطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيهِم عَدُوَّهُم .8

4646.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘When they break a covenant, Allah allows their enemy to gain mastery over them.’9

4647.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : لا دِينَ لِمَن لا عَهدَ لَهُ .10

4647.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘He who does not keep a promise has no religion.’11

4648.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : إنَّ العُهودَ قَلائدُ في الأعناقِ إلى‏ يَومِ القِيامَةِ ، فمَن وَصَلَها وَصَلَهُ اللَّهُ ، ومَن نَقَضَها خَذَلَهُ اللَّهُ ، ومَنِ استَخَفَّ بِها خاصَمَتهُ إلَى الّذي أكَّدَها وأخَذَ خَلقَهُ بِحِفظِها .12

4648.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Verily promises are chains on people’s necks until the Day of Resurrection. So whoever fulfils them is delivered by Allah, and whoever breaks them is forsaken by Allah, and whoever takes them lightly will have to contend with the One Who has placed special emphasis on them and Who has enjoined upon His creation to fulfil them.’13

4649.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - مِن كِتابِهِ لِلأشتَرِ لَمّا وَلّاهُ مِصرَ - : لَيسَ مِن فَرائضِ اللَّهِ شَي‏ءٌ النّاسُ أشَدُّ عَلَيهِ اجتِماعاً - مَعَ تَفَرُّقِ أهوائهِم ، وتَشَتُّتِ آرائهِم - مِن تَعظيمِ الوَفاءِ بِالعُهودِ .14

4649. Imam Ali (AS), in a letter he wrote to al-Ashtar when he appointed him governor of Egypt, said, ‘Among all things made incumbent by Allah, there is nothing on which people are more strongly united, in spite of the difference of their opinions and the diversity of their views, than the respect for fulfilling promises.’15

4650.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : حُسنُ العَهدِ مِنَ الإيمانِ .16

4650.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Fulfilment of a promise is part of faith.’17

4651.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : ما أيقَنَ بِاللَّهِ مَن لَم يَرْعَ عُهودَهُ وذِمَّتَهُ .18

4651.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘He who does not observe his promises and his guarantee does not have conviction in Allah.’19

4652.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام : ثَلاثٌ لَم يَجعَلِ اللَّهُ عَزَّوجلَّ لِأحَدٍ فيهِنَّ رُخصَةً : ... الوَفاءُ بِالعَهدِ لِلبَرِّ والفاجِرِ .20

4652.Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘There are three things wherein Allah, Mighty and Exalted, has not granted anyone a concession … the fulfilment of one’s promise, be it to the good person or the bad.’21

4653.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام - في قولهِ تعالى‏ : (وَلا تَكونوا كَالَّتي نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَها مِنْ بَعْدِ قُوة)22 - : الّتي نَقَضَت غَزلَها امرَأةٌ مِن بَني تَيمِ بنِ مُرَّةَ يُقالُ لَها : رابِطَةُ (ريطَةُ) بِنتُ كَعبِ بنِ سَعدِ بنِ تَيمِ بنِ كَعبِ بنِ لُؤيَّ بنِ غالِبٍ ، كانَت حَمقاءَ تَغزِلُ الشَّعَرَ ، فإذا غَزَلَت نَقَضَتهُ ثُمَّ عادَت فَغَزَلَتهُ ، فقالَ اللَّهُ : (وَلا تَكونوا كَالَّتي نَقَضَتْ غَزلَها مِنْ بَعْدِ قُوة) إنَّ اللَّهَ تَبارَكَ وتَعالى‏ أمَرَ بِالوَفاءِ ونَهى‏ عَن نَقضِ العَهدِ ، فضَرَبَ لَهُم مَثَلاً .23

4653. Imam al-Baqir (AS) with regards to Allah’s verse: “Do not be like her who would undo her yarn, breaking it up after [spinning it to] strength, by making your oaths a means of [mutual] deceit among yourselves …”24 , said, ‘The one who undid her yarn was a woman from the tribe of Bani Taym b. Murrah, called Rabita (Rayta), daughter of Kab b. Sad b. Taym b. Kab b. Luayya b. Ghalib. She was a stupid woman who would spin hair, and after she had spun it, she would undo it then start to spin it all over again. So Allah said, “Do not be like her who would undo her yarn …” Verily Allah, Blessed and most High, has commanded the fulfilment of the oath and has prohibited its breaking, and has made this a parable for them.’25

4654.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام - لَمّا سُئلَ عَن قَولِهِ تَعالى‏: (ياأيُّها الَّذينَ آمَنوا أوْفوا بِالعُقودِ) - : العُهودِ .26

4654. Imam al-Sadiq (AS), when asked about the verse: “O you who have faith! Keep your agreements”, replied, ‘[It refers to] promises.’27

1.The Arabic word ahd, here translated as covenant, includes anything by way of a promise, a pledge, a vow, a contract, an oath, a covenant or any such agreement between people (ed.)

2.البقرة : ۱۷۷ .

3.Qur’an ۲:۱۷۷

4.كنز العمّال : ۱۰۹۱۹ .

5.Kanz al-Ummal, no. ۱۰۹۰۹

6.كنز العمّال : ۱۰۹۲۴ .

7.Ibid. no. ۱۰۹۲۴

8.بحار الأنوار : ۱۰۰ / ۴۶ / ۳ .

9.Bihar al-Anwar, v. ۱۰۰, p. ۴۶, no. ۳

10.النوادر للراوندي : ۹۱ / ۲۷ .

11.Nawadir al-Rawandi, p. ۵

12.غرر الحكم : ۳۶۵۰ .

13.Ghurar al-Hikam, no. ۳۶۵۰

14.نهج البلاغة : الكتاب ۵۳ .

15.Nahj al-Balagha, Letter ۵۳

16.كنز العمّال : ۱۰۹۳۷ .

17.Ghurar al-Hikam, no. ۱۰۹۳۷

18.غرر الحكم : ۹۵۷۷ .

19.Ibid. no. ۹۵۷۷

20.الكافي : ۲ / ۱۶۲ / ۱۵ .

21.al-Kafi, v. ۲, p. ۱۶۲, no. ۱۵

22.النحل : ۹۲ .

23.تفسير القمّي : ۱ / ۳۸۹ .

24.Qur’an ۱۶:۹۲

25.Tafsir al-Qummi, v. ۱, p. ۳۸۹

26.تفسير العيّاشي : ۱ / ۲۸۹ / ۵ .

27.Tafsir al-Ayyashi, v. ۱, p. ۲۸۹, no. ۵