Fulfilment of Promises
Muhammad always kept his promises
and contracts at all costs, even with his enemies, and never broke his word. He preached the Qur'an and practiced what he
taught to other people in obedience to the command of Allah. There are several examples of his faithfulness to his promises.
One of the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyah (written in 6 a.h.) was that if any Muslim came to Madinah
from Makkah, he would be returned on demand. While the treaty was being written, Abu Jandal escaped from the prison of the
Makkans in chains. All the Muslims were shocked to see him in this condition, but the Prophet said to him, "O Abu Jandal!
Be patient, we cannot break the promise. Allah will very soon find a way for you." He was returned to the people of Makkah.
Abu Rafi`, a slave, came to Madinah as an ambassador of the Quraysh. When he saw the Prophet, the truth
of Islam dawned on him and he said, "O Messenger of Allah! I shall never go back to the unbelievers." The Prophet said, "I
can neither breach the treaty nor keep the ambassadors with me. If you feel the same way when you go there, you can come back."
He went back and embraced Islam.
Safwan ibn Umayyah was a deadly enemy of Islam. When Makkah was conquered, he ran away
to Jeddah with the intention of going to Yemen. `Umayr ibn Wahab came to the Prophet and told him about Safwan. The Prophet
gave him his turban and said, "This is a sign of the guarantee of his safety." `Umayr went to Safwan with the turban and told
him that he had no cause to run away, for his safety had been guaranteed. When he came to see the Prophet, he said, "Have
you given me safety?" The Prophet said, "Yes, it is true."
After the death of the Prophet, his successor kept the Prophet’s promises. Abu Juhayfah said: I
saw Allah's Messenger as a fair-skinned man who had become gray-haired. Al-Hasan ibn `Ali resembled him. He ordered that thirteen
young she-camels should be given to us and we went to receive them, but news of his death reached us before they had been
given to us. Then when Abu Bakr became the caliph, he said, "If anyone has received a promise from Allah's Messenger, let
him come." So I got up, went to him and told him of the promise and he ordered that the camels should be given to me.
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