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Breaking Promises
Assalam o Alaikum,
Breaking promises has been categorised as a major sin in Mezan in the Ten Commandments. This includes all promises : written or verbal, implied or explicit. What is the extend of these though? It is not even a minor sin where we can hope salvation without immediately seeking forgiveness but day to day activities have a lot of small implied promises, this includes even the smallest traffic laws like not wearing seatbelts or more significantly, we sign a lot of software consents (by clicking I agree )that we don’t even read ( as they are very long) so can unknowingly break them. Some might even be so small as to prohibit taking a screenshot for personal use. Moreover sometimes I imply doing something and don’t do it because I either forget or it simply isn’t the wisest thing to do in the moment.
Are these all major sins ?
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8 Replies
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Breaking Promises
Saba Bilal updated 1 month ago 2 Members · 8 Replies
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Wa Alaikum Assalam,
In Islam, truthfulness is a fundamental aspect of our faith. The worst sin in Allah’s eyes is Shirk, which involves lying about God’s oneness and attributes.
Breaking promises, whether written, verbal, implied, or explicit, is considered a major sin. This is because promises involve making commitments and assurances, which, when broken, can damage trust and relationships.
However, it’s essential to consider the context and intent behind broken promises. In the case of:
– Minor, unintentional lapses: Such as forgetting to wear a seatbelt or unknowingly violating software consents, the sin might be considered minor, and seeking forgiveness is still essential.
– Implied promises: If you imply doing something but don’t follow through due to forgetfulness or changed circumstances, it’s not necessarily a major sin. However, it’s crucial to be mindful of your intentions and actions.
To avoid unintentionally breaking promises:
1. Be mindful of your commitments: Before making promises, consider your capabilities and intentions.
2. Seek forgiveness: If you break a promise, seek forgiveness from Allah and those affected.
3. Make amends: If possible, make amends for broken promises to restore trust and relationships.
Remember, Islam emphasizes the importance of truthfulness, integrity, and accountability. By being mindful of our promises and commitments, we can strengthen our relationships with Allah and others.
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I see. So if it’s about trust and accountability then sometimes that’s not severed in a lot of societal contexts. Like when people ask u to come over sometimes and u say sure but they weren’t being super serious and u weren’t either, even if I say something like I will try to, its still lying cause I won’t try. Infact I’m going against basic decency by just not saying sure.
I guess what I’m asking is : are white lies bad aswell
Ex: not answering truthfully when someone asks u how u are doing ( u just don’t want to reveal yourself to even close people sometimes, especially mental struggles )
Lying to avoid a situation where u can cause discord among people ( someone asking about what the other person said about them so u lie that it was nothing cause otherwise you’ve started a household war)
Or are these all sins just in much smaller capacities than larger ones. Like the sin is proportional to the potential consequences maybe?
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I found this Hadith from Dr Shahzad Saleem’s selected hadiths:
Humayd ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf reported that his mother Umm Kulthum bint ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘it (rta), who was amongst the first emigrants who pledged allegiance to God’s Messenger (sws), informed him that she heard God’s Messenger (sws) as saying: “A liar is not one who tries to reconcile people and speaks good [in order to bring people together] or he conveys what is good.”
So it’s ok to lie to atleast prevent discord ?
Sometimes u have to lie a lot to children to protect them harshness and negativity. That should come in the same realm right?
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This Hadith emphasizes the value of:
1. Reconciliation: Bringing people together and resolving conflicts.
2. Speaking good: Using positive and constructive language.
3. Conveying good: Sharing beneficial and uplifting information.
In essence, this Hadith encourages Muslims to engage in positive and constructive communication, even if it means bending the truth slightly to promote peace and harmony. However, this should not be taken as a license to lie or deceive others.
The Prophet’s (SAW) statement highlights the importance of context and intention in communication. If the intention is to promote good, reconcile people, and maintain social harmony, then using positive language and conveying beneficial information is not only permissible but also encouraged.
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Here’s an example to illustrate the Hadith:
Suppose two friends, Amira and Fatima, had a disagreement and haven’t spoken to each other in a while. You, as a mutual friend, want to help them reconcile.
You visit Amira and say, “Fatima really values your friendship and is sorry for what happened.” Even if Fatima didn’t explicitly say those words, your intention is to bring them together and promote good.
In this case, you’re not lying, but rather using positive language to facilitate reconciliation. This is in line with the Prophet’s (SAW) teaching that a person who tries to reconcile people and speaks good is not considered a liar.
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Thankyou for the comprehensive answer!
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