Article appeared Friday, February 7th, 2014 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Re elation !"14#

yousu$ %ahbubul &sla%, 'h(

&s it i%portant to honor our co%%it%ents) *hat %ay happen i$ we don+t) Be$ore loo,ing at the conse-uences, it %ay help re iew what constitutes a co%%it%ent. A co%%it%ent is an obligation that we bind or li%it oursel es to. The ter%s o$ a co%%it%ent %ay be in the $or% o$ a written agree%ent or it %ay be a erbal co%%it%ent. A co%%it%ent %ay also result $ro% an o$$icial appoint%ent or $ro% being a %e%ber o$ a $a%ily or co%%unity. &n addition to obligation the dictionary gi es its synony%s such as/ responsibility, duty, tie, charge, dedication, de otion, allegiance, loyalty, $aith$ulness, bond, etc. 0onoring co%%it%ents would there$ore %ean honoring our responsibilities, i.e. $aith$ully carrying out our duties, being loyal, $aith$ul, dedicated and de oted to the responsibilities. The -uestion is/ should one strictly keep commitments made? To situate the nature o$ a person who does not ,eep co%%it%ents, the A%erican writer (enis *aitley {1} points out, 1osers %a,e pro%ises they o$ten brea,. *inners %a,e co%%it%ents they always ,eep. {1} 0ow do those who ,eep co%%it%ents beco%e winners) Those who ,eep co%%it%ents are ,nown as reliable, dependable and trustworthy people. 2uch people beco%e candidates $or positions o$ responsibility and power3 4n the other hand, people who do not ,eep the ter%s o$ their co%%it%ents are seen as irresponsible and subse-uently not worthy o$ trust. &n addition, such irresponsible beha ior %ay create con$lict and lead to destruction. For e5a%ple, what can happen i$ parents do not honor their co%%it%ents towards young children) *hat %ight happen i$ little children are not pro ided $ood and a sa$e place to stay) 2hould it be surprising that the A%erican business%an 1es Brown !b. 1647# proposed the $ollowing) 0onor your co%%it%ents with integrity. {2} As a $urther e5a%ple, let us now loo, at the case where ter%s o$ an agree%ent are docu%ented and agreed upon. *hat %ight subse-uently happen between parties o$ people who agree to ter%s o$ a written agree%ent but subse-uently do not honor the ter%s agreed upon) Also, what i$ one party consistently brea,s the ter%s o$ the agree%ent while the other party re%ains co%%itted) 4ne should re%ind onesel$ that the 8reator is also a witness to the ter%s o$ any agree%ent that we %a,e between oursel es. An important question is therefore how should the Creator react when people do not honor their agreements? 2ura At9Tauba !Repentence# or 8hapter 6 o$ the %ost recent Re elation, the 0oly :ur+an, answers this -uestion $or us. The particular erses re$er to agree%ents or treaties that were consistently being bro,en by one side. This resulted in a subse-uent decision gi en by the 8reator. Abdullah ;usu$ Ali in his <nglish translation {3} gi es the $ollowing bac,ground to the =erses. The 'agans and ene%ies o$ &sla% $re-uently %ade treaties o$ %utual alliance with the >usli%s. The >usli%s scrupulously obser ed their part, but the 'agans iolated their part again and again when it suited the%. A$ter so%e years o$ e5perience it beca%e i%perati e to denounce such treaties altogether. This was done in due $or%, with $our %onths? notice, and a chance was gi en to those who $aith$ully obser ed their pledges, to continue their alliance. {3, note 124@, p.7} The translation also gi es the $ollowing rhyth%ic prose o$ the erses/ &$ the 'agans repeatedly brea, their treaties, denounce the treaties, but gi e the% ti%e either to repent or to prepare $or the Aust punish%ent o$ their treachery. 'unish the chie$s o$ the treacherous, and destroy the%. But i$ one o$ the% see, asylu%, gi e itB let hi% hear the *ord o$ Allah and escort hi% to security. Be true to the true, but $ight those who are $alse to plighted word and taunt you $or your Faith. No one has the right to approach the %os-ues o$ Allah unless he belie es in Allah and $ollows Allah?s 1aw, the law o$ righteousness. {3, p.4}

The <nglish translation {3} o$ the $irst 10 erses o$ 2ura At9Tauba are gi en below.

9.1 A (declaration) of immunity from Allah and His Apostle to those of the pa ans !ith !hom you ha"e contracted mutual alliances.
This is i%%unity $ro% retaliation or re enge by the belie ers against what the pagans were doing, $or a $i5ed period o$ ti%e.

9.2 #o then for four months $ac%!ards and for!ards (as you !ill) throu hout the land $ut %no! ye that you cannot frustrate Allah ($y your falsehood) $ut that Allah !ill co"er !ith shame those !ho re&ect him. 9.3 And an announcement from Allah and His Apostle to the people (assem$led) on the day of the #reat 'il rima e that Allah and His Apostle dissol"e (treaty) o$li ations !ith the pa ans. (f then you repent it !ould $e $est for you) $ut if you turn a!ay* %no! that you cannot frustrate Allah. And proclaim a rie"ous penalty to those !ho re&ect faith. 9.+ (,ut the treaties are) not dissol"ed !ith those pa ans !ith !hom you ha"e entered into alliance and !ho ha"e not su$se-uently failed you in au ht nor aided anyone a ainst you. .o fulfill your en a ements !ith them to the end of their term/ for Allah lo"es the ri hteous. 9.0 ,ut !hen the for$idden (four) months are passed then fi ht and slay the pa ans !here"er you find them and sei1e them $elea uer them and lie in !ait for them in e"ery strata em (of !ar)) $ut if they repent and esta$lish re ular prayers and practice re ular charity then open the !ay for them/ for Allah is 2ft34or i"in 5ost 5erciful. 9.6 (f one amon st the pa ans as% you for asylum rant it to him so that he may hear the !ord of Allah and then escort him to !here he can $e secure/ that is $ecause they are men !ithout %no!led e. 9.7 Ho! can there $e a treaty $efore Allah and His Apostle !ith the pa ans e8cept those !ith !hom you made a treaty near the sacred mos-ue9 As lon as these stand true to you stand you true to them/ 4or Allah lo"es the ri hteous. 9.: Ho! (can there $e such a treaty) seein that if they et an ad"anta e o"er you they respect not in you the ties either of %inship or of co"enant9 ;ith (fair !ords from) their mouths they entice you $ut their hearts are a"erse from you) and most of them are re$ellious and !ic%ed. 9.9 <he si ns of Allah ha"e they sold for a misera$le price and (many) ha"e they hindered from His !ay/ e"il indeed are the deeds they ha"e done. 9.1= (n a $elie"er they respect not the ties either of %inship or of co"enant> (t is they !ho ha"e trans ressed all $ounds.
9999999 {?otes}/ {1} http/CCwww.brainy-uote.co%C-uotesCauthorsCdCdenisDwaitley.ht%l {2} http/CCwww.brainy-uote.co%C-uotesC,eywordsCco%%it%ents.ht%l {3} http/CCwww.-uran4u.co%CTa$sirayaC006E20Tawbah.pd$