Punishment for Breach of Promise
Punishment for Breach of Promise
In Islam, breaking a promise, especially an oath sworn in the name of Allah, is a serious matter. While there isn't a specific "punishment" in the worldly sense, it is considered a sin and a breach of trust, with potential consequences both in this life and the afterlife.[Barzakh and Ahkhirah]
Consequences in this life:
Without:
Breaking a promise is considered a sin in Islam, as it violates the trust placed in the individual.
Hypocrisy:
Repeatedly breaking promises can be a sign of hypocrisy, which is strongly condemned in Islam.
Damage to reputation:
Breaking promises can damage one's reputation and relationships with others.
Consequences in the afterlife:
Accountability:
Muslims believe they will be held accountable for their actions on the Day of Judgment, including breaking promises.
Potential for punishment:
While Allah is merciful and forgiving, breaking promises is a serious matter that could lead to punishment if not suddenly.
Atonement for Breaking an Oath (Kaffarah):
If a promise made in the name of Allah (an oath) is broken, the individual is obliged to perform an atonement known as Kaffarah. This usually involves:
Feeding ten poor people: Providing two meals each or the equivalent monetary value, according to Islamic Relief Worldwide.
Clothing ten poor people: Providing each with a garment.
Freeing a slave: According to Islamic texts.
Fasting for three days: If the above options are not feasible.
General Advice:
Repentance: Seek forgiveness from Allah for breaking the promise.
Avoidance: Try not to make oaths or promises that you cannot fulfill.
Fulfillment: If a promise is made, make every effort to fulfill it.
Considerations: There are situations where a promise might be difficult or impossible to keep due to unforeseen circumstances, and Allah is understanding of such situations.
According to a tradition reported by Hadrat Sa‘id (may Allah be pleased with him) the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed : ‘On Doomsday a flag will be fixed in the anus of every ‘ghadar’ (a man guilty of the breach of promise)’ (Muslim).
Virtues of keeping promises in Islam
Undoubtedly, keeping promises and keeping one's word are attributes of the believers. And breaking promises is one of the attributes of the hypocrites. `Abdullah ibn 'Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“There are four (characteristics), whoever has them is a hypocrite, and whoever has one of the four has a characteristic of hypocrisy unless he gives it up: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise he breaks it; when he makes a pledge he betrays it; and when he disputes he resorts to foul language.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 2327; Muslim, 58)
Breaking promises
The believer who makes promises to people and breaks his promise may have an excuse or he may not. If he has an excuse, then there is no sin on him, but if he does not have an excuse then he is a sinner.
Exceptions for breaking promises
There is no text – as far as we know – that makes any exception regarding the prohibition of breaking promises, but it may be that promises are broken in situations where the believer is excused. For example:
Forgetting
Allah has forgiven us for forgetfulness whereby obligatory actions are omitted or haram actions are committed. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Allah does not require of any soul more than what it can afford. All good will be for its own benefit, and all evil will be to its own loss. ˹The believers pray,˺ “Our Lord! Do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord! Do not place a burden on us like the one you placed on those before us. Our Lord! Do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our ˹only˺ Guardian. So grant us victory over the disbelieving people.”— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran."
[Al-Baqarah 2:286]
(Narrated by Muslim, 126, from the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas)
Whoever makes a promise to someone and then forgets the promise or forgets to do it at the time stated, there is no sin on him.
Being forced to break one's promise.
Being forced is one of the impediments that make it permissible for a Muslim to break his promise, such as one who is detained or is prevented from fulfilling his promise, or who is threatened with a painful punishment.
Ibn `Abbas narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah has forgiven my ummah for their mistakes, what they forget and what they are forced to do.” (Narrated by Ibn Majah, 2045, and this hadith has many corroborating reports; classed as sahih by Shaykh al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami', 1836)
A promise to do something haram or not to do something obligatory.
Whoever promises someone that he will do something haram for him, or that he will not do something that is obligatory, it is not permissible for him to fulfill that promise.
This may be supported by the hadith of `Aishah – which is also known as the hadith of Barirah, which is narrated in al-Sahihayn. `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) had promised Barirah’s former masters that the wala of Barirah [the right to inherit from her when she died – which is the right of the one who sets a slave free – Translator] would belong to them even though `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was the one who was going to set Barirah free. But she did not keep this promise because they had gone against the Shari`ah, and they knew that the right of wala belonged to the one who set the slave free, so how could `Aishah set her free and then the wala of Barirah belonged to them?
Al-Shafi`i said:
"When news of that reached them, the one who had stipulated a condition that was contrary to the ruling of Allah and His Messenger was a sinner, and there are hudud punishments and discipline for the sinner. One of the ways in which the sinners are disciplined is that their conditions are rendered null and void so as to deter them and others from doing likewise. This is one of the best forms of discipline."
(Ikhtilaf al-Hadith, p. 165)
If something unforeseen happens to the one who made the promise, such as sickness, the death of a relative or the breakdown of his means of transportation, etc.
There are many excuses, which all come under the heading of the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope” [al-Baqarah 2:286]
And Allah knows best.
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