If I threw a brick through your window could I tell you it was an amanah?
Could I tape a little note to it that says “This brick is a sacred trust and by accepting this brick into your window you are now accountable, in the sight of Allah, for delivering this brick through the window of all your friends?”
Remember, an amanah is serious business, and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that Allah has said:
“There are three people whom I shall be their opponent on the Day of Judgment: A man who was given something in My Name and then betrays; A man who sells-off a free man (as a slave) and consumes the price; and A man who hires a labourer, makes use of his service then does not give him his wages.” -Saheeh Al Bukhari
So if I lobbed a brick through your window in the name of Allah, and you betrayed the trust of putting it through all your friends’ windows, would you be making yourself an enemy of Allah?
It seems kind of silly and yet, how often have you seen this message:
A message from our sister; *name varies* from *location*. As Salaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatu Lahie Wa Barakaatoe . I make an oath with you people in front of Allah and I leave this as amanah with you until the day of judgement. If you opened this message and read it that you have to send it to all your contacts. I want you to make dua for me that Allah(SWT) gives me shafa (quick healing). I have stage 4 form of breast cancer and it’s spread to my bone and body now. I ask you in the name of Allah(SWT) don’t close this message before you have sent it to all your contacts because one day you will need dua and an oath (amanah) makes the mountains shake….Forward as Received..
This emotional brick gets tossed through a window on your computer and because it invokes the name of Allah himself, we say Ameen, and maybe even forward it just to be on the safe side.
Here’s the thing though- you can’t throw amanaat at people and run the other way. A person must actually MAKE a promise before they are held accountable for it in the sight of Allah.
Fear of Allah is a good thing. It keeps us honest and in case we are neglected our promises, the thought of standing exposed on Qiyama with nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and the Inescapable Justice of Allah himself filling the horizon is a good thing.
It would be even better if the people who wrote these emails feared Allah too, because the implied threat in the message is that “If you ignore my prayers, Allah will ignore yours too.”
Speaking on Allah’s behalf without His permission is a grave offense.
Making threats on his behalf?
Much, much worse.
Next time someone throws this brick through your window – out of fear of Allah – kindly and gently hand it back to them. Kindly inform them that they are not held to promises they never made and oaths invoked by people they never met. Mention as well that the mercy of Allah is limitless, and no one has the right to threaten or even imply that if you don’t do what they want you to, Allah won’t do what He promised to.
“And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided.”
Surah Al Baqarah ayah 186
It is nice to see an update though i read it late. I hope u and the family are doing fine. Finally u relieved us of the burden of forwarding many such messages out of fear that the sender puts us through.