AL- AMANAH

Prologue

In one of the blessed sittings in Madeenah one day, an incident occurred,

which was narrated by Abu Hurayrah. He said:

In the sitting of the Holy Prophet (SAW) one day when he was
addressing some people, a Bedouin Arab came to him and said, O
Messenger of Allah! When would the Hour (Doomsday) take place? The
Messenger of Allah continues his speech, so some people said the
Prophet (SAW) heard the question asked by the Bedouin Arab but dislike
it. Some of them said the Prophet (SAW) had not heard it. Upon
concluding his speech, he (SAW) said, where is the questioner who
inquired about the hour (Doomsday)? the Bedouin Arab said, I am
here O Messenger of Allah. The Prophet (SAW) replied, When trust is
lost, then wait for the Hour (Doomsday). The Bedouin said, How will
it be lost? the Prophet said, When the power or authority comes in
the hands of unfit persons, then wait for the Hour (Doomsday.)1

The above hadeeth underscore the importance of Al-Amanah in the life of

man. The lost of Al-Amanah in a society is an indication of moral
ineptitude, spiritual devaluation and a downward drift to subhuman
conducts and manifestations.

The refined, purebred were carefully chosen as Allahs Apostles among

humankind. They are the bearer of trust and embodiment of virtues. A
soul that cautiously protects and guards his dignity, spirituality and

1
Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 3, Kitaab Al-Ilm, hadeeth No. 57. Narrated by Abu Hurayrah.
integrity in spite of being tormented by extreme poverty and alienation is
a soul possessed by a strong, trustworthy individual. The Prophet (SAW)
was nicknamed Al-Ameen (The Trustworthy) by his people even before
attaining Prophethood and Messengership. The trustworthiness of Musa
(AS) was put to test in Madyan at a point of extreme uncertainty, fear
and deprivation when he ran away from Egypt for fear of being killed by
Firawn (Al-Qasas, Q28: 23-26). Thus the protection of the rights of Allah
and the rights of His servants requires a character that is not
chameleonic in nature, a firm and unalloyed character that can stand
the vicissitude of life, and that is the quintessence of Al-Amanah.

Islam requires from its adherents to be possessors of a living, obliging

heart, safeguarding the rights of Allah and the rights of men. Their
trustworthiness must be unquestionable for it nourishes their faith and
affirm their conviction. Al-Amanah is an obligation Muslims were advised
to nurture and sought Allahs assistance for its protection.

Among the meanings of Al-Amanah is placing something in its rightful

and appropriate place. Position should not be allotted except to those
truly deserving. Jobs and appointments must be given only to those that
merited it, not based on affiliations and favoritism. The Holy Prophet
(SAW) while emphasizing the importance of Al-Amanah and its
consequence on those that do not merited it on the Day of Judgment
counsel Abu Dharr (RA) thus upon his request for appointment:

O Abu Dharr! You are weak and authority is Amanah, it will be a

source of disgrace and regret on the Day of Resurrection except for
one who fulfill its obligations and (Properly) discharges the duties
attendant thereon.2

2
Sahih Muslim. Book 20. Chapter 4, Kitaab Al-Imarah, Hadeeth No. 4491. Narrated by Abu Dharr.
In essence, possession of competence in certain areas or scholarship in
religious ordinances does not necessarily translate to ability to fulfill the
obligations of Al-Amanah.

Among the meanings of Al-Amanah is the conscious desire of man to

discharge obligatory duties entrusted to him proficiently. Islam
emphasizes the importance of promptness, trustworthiness,
deliberateness, commitment and hard work to the overall productiveness
of the workforce. A nation where the workforce is indolent, non-
committed and irresponsive to their work, development will be elusive,
poverty and corruption will decimate their unity of purpose and
aspirations with imminent disintegration and destruction a foregone
conclusion.

Our Salaat (Prayer), Zakaat (obligatory alms), Siyaam (fast) and Hajj
(Holy Pilgrimage) are trust (Al-Amanah) that must be discharge
accordingly with sincerity of intention and seeking the pleasure of Allah
alone. The templates for these acts of worship (intentions) must be pure,
its performance must conform to the rules as enshrined in the Quran
and Sunnah and the motivating force must be the pleasure of Allah and
His Paradise.

Our bodily parts are trust (Al-Amanah) from Allah. The tongue, the eyes,
the ears, the nose, the hand, the stomach, the feet and the private parts
are bestowal from Allah (SWT) with propensities for virtuous and evil
actions. Humankind and Jinn will give accounts before Allah on how
these organs are utilized. The utilization of these organs for virtuous and
meritorious acts and their protection from perfidious and immoral
tendencies will guarantee the preservation of these trusts, which is so
pivotal to our success in this world and the Hereafter.

Our wealth and children are trust (Al-Amanah) from Allah. The discharge
of these trusts is as important as the trust (wealth and children) itself.
The upbringing of our children in the way of Allah, painstaking and
conscious commitment to their success in this world and the next and
dissipation of our wealth to those entitled to it and the overall benefits of
humanity will guarantee our protection from the impending doom and
tribulation that awaits the defaulters of these trust (Q8:27-28, Q9:34-
35).

Marriage in Islam is a divine consummation that allows peaceful, blissful

and eventful coexistence of husband and wife under the same roof. The
happenings and secrets in this divine contract are sacrosanct and not
divulged in the public. This is one of the most valued of trust (Al-
Amanah) in the sight of Allah, which attracts serious castigation and
humiliation for its violators on the Day of Judgment.

Among the meaning of Al-Amanah is the exhibition of trustworthiness in

our relationships, interactions and dealings with others. As much as this
character is needed in our personal relationships, it is equally of great
importance in our dealings and business transactions. The pervasiveness
of sharp practices, corruption, bribery and interest (Riba) in our business
transactions today is a clear manifestation of absence of faith and trust
(Al-Amanah) in the society and one of the signs of the Last Hour.

The desperate quest for leadership today is rarely borne on altruistic

service to the people. Rather, it is based on the assumption that it gives
unrestricted access to the commonwealth. Thus, aspiration to public
offices based on this heinous template generates subhuman leaders with
chronic addiction to primitive wealth accumulation. Leadership in Islam
stands on two core principles- competence and trustworthiness. While
the former ensures that competent individuals occupy leadership
positions, the latter (which is as important as the former) ensures that
the peoples commonwealth and security is in safe hands. Any individual
found wanting in any of these core principles is not eligible to be
considered for any position of leadership.

Instructing good and forbidding evil is a trust (Al-Amanah) that must be

discharge by the Muslims. Based on this trust and its propagation Allah
(SWT) named us the best generation of Humankind (Q3: 110). The
discharge of this trust elevate the Muslims in the sight of Allah,
guarantee their ascendancy and importance in the society, safeguard
their wealth, honor and dignity, cast fear and awe in the hearts of their
enemies and promote their success in this world and the Hereafter.

The following chapters discuss the issues raised in this prologue. While
acknowledging my deficiencies as a human in attending to these issues
efficiently, I pray to Allah (SWT) to accept this little contribution as an act
of worship and to make it one of my hasanaat on the Day of Judgment.
Divine guidance lies with Allah (SWT) alone.