Islamic Shari'ah (sharia law)

Allah, to Whom all praise and glory is due, says in Surah Ash-Shuraa, verse 13:

Allah  has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be divided therein.

And Allah says in Surah al Ma'idah, verse 48, "So judge between the people by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed a law and a method [a way of life]."

Dear brothers and sisters,

Our topic today, Allah willing, is the Islamic Shari'ah. I selected this topic on two accounts: First, some non-Muslims attack Islam and Muslims due to their misunderstandings of Islamic Shari'ah, often calling it "sharia law" or "creeping shariah"; and second, some Muslims also do not understand the meaning of sharia law. Therefore, we will discuss:

1. What is the meaning of sharia law?
2. What is the relationship between sharia law with the law of Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them both)?
3. When are the punishments, such as cutting off the hand or stoning the adulterer, applicable?
4. What are the requirements for the application of sharia law?
5. Is sharia law applicable to non-Muslims?

It is only appropriate that a person does not open his mouth on something until and unless he has clearly understood its meanings. Unfortunately, many news programs and politicians talk about sharia law without understanding it. The result is a general misunderstanding regarding what sharia really is.

Sharia law is what Allah, to Whom all praise and glory is due, has ordained for Muslims. It includes belief, acts of worship (prayers, fasting, charity, etc), morals (truth, trustworthiness, kindness), and the etiquette of dealing with people, such as visiting the sick and how to greet one another. Sharia law includes all that Allah has ordained for us in all walks of life to ensure our success in this world and the Hereafter.

As we ponder over sharia law, we discover that its sources are commandments from Allah delivered to Muhammad (pbuh). Similarly, we see that Allah also sent his sharia to the previous prophets (pbut). So, Moses (pbuh) came with sharia for his people, and Jesus (pbuh) also came with sharia, and similarly, Muhammad (pbuh) came with sharia. These sharia agree and complement each other in some ways, as they are all from Allah, and they also differ in other ways, according to the place and time of the revelation. Allah's law are all in agreement in the following:

1. Beliefs: Every sharia testifies to only One creator and sustainer, and that is Allah.
2. Morals: Every sharia emphasizes good morals. Every messenger instructed his people to have morals of truth, honesty, and trust, and all forbade falsehood, theft, and oppression. Therefore, every messenger (pbut) ordained good morals and forbid bad morals.

Moses (pbuh) ordained the Ten Commandments to his people, and these are found in the Torah/Old Testament. Jesus (pbuh) also confirmed them when he said in the book of Matthew, 5:17:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

The Ten Commandments include:

1. You shall have no other gods before Me. This is equal to the belief in Islam that shirk (associating partners with Allah) is a great sin and against Allah's sharia.
2. You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. Muslims have a very similar belief regarding statues and other images.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. This means to not take a false oath by the name of Allah, and Muslims believe this as well.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Muslims do not go to the extreme of not working at all on our day of worship, but we are still ordered to stop what we are doing and worship Allah for Allah's sake alone.
5. Honor your father and your mother. Muslims have a similar command, except the mother is owed much more honor than the father since she gives part of her life to bring her children into this world.
6. You shall not murder. Indeed, Muslims have the exact same order as the Jews and Christians regarding this.
7. You shall not commit adultery. Again, same order.
8. You shall not steal. Ditto.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Ditto.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s. And this also applies to the Muslim.

Similar to these commandments given to Moses and Jesus (pbut), Allah gave us commandments in the Qur'an:

Say, "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. [He commands] that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment, and do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them. And do not approach immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed. And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right. This has He instructed you that you may use reason." [Surah al-'An'aam, verse 151]

and

do not approach the orphan's property except in a way that is best until he reaches maturity. And give full measure and weight in justice. We do not charge any soul except [with that within] its capacity. And when you testify, be just, even if [it concerns] a near relative. And the covenant of Allah fulfill. This has He instructed you that you may remember. [Surah al-'An'aam, verse 152]

and

O you who have believed, do not consume one another's wealth unjustly but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful. [Surah an-Nisa, verse 29]

 Allah also said, "this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way. This has He instructed you that you may become righteous."

So, the divine laws, including sharia law, are based on the revealed books - the Torah, the Gospel, and the Qur'an. And in Islam, sharia law also comes from the hadiths, the sayings and actions of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh). These sharias differ in other ways, regarding how to pray, or how to deal with people, and the laws of inheritance. Islamic sharia confirms many previous rulings in some areas and differs in others. That is why Allah said:

Allah has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus -   to establish the religion and not be divided therein.

This verse points to the similarities of the sharias of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The next verse points to their differences:

To each of you We prescribed a law and a method [a way of life].

At-Tabari explained that this verse means, "To every nation we revealed the right way, and a clear way of life to follow." Similarly, ibn Abbas explained, "The ways of life are different. The Torah has a shariah, the Bible has a shariah, and the Qur'an has a shariah, and all of them are from Allah".

An important question is this: Does sharia law only include punishments? The answer is no. Punishments (hudood) are only a very small part of sharia law. We need to remove these misunderstandings. First, there are four punishments in sharia law:

1. Punishment for sex outside of marriage
2. Punishment for false accusation (one who accuses a man or woman of having sex outside of marriage who is unable to produce four just, trustworthy witnesses to the physical act of penetration)
3. Punishment for greater theft (rebellion)
4. Punishment for theft.

 So, we have four punishments, and also retribution (an eye for an eye). There are ten verses in the Qur'an that announce these punishments and retribution. Two are from Surah al-Baqarah, four from Surah al-Maidah, four from Surah an-Noor. That's ten verses. Ten verses from a total 6236 verses mention these punishments. So, why do pundits and commentators leave 6226 verses and only discuss these ten verses? In fact, the whole of the Qur'an is sharia law, and this includes belief, worship, morals, and etiquette.

The verses in the Qur'an that deal with punishments were not revealed in the beginning of the revelation, but towards the end of it, as Surah al-Maidah is among the last of the Surahs that was revealed. So, before Muhammad (pbuh) applied the punishments, he (pbuh) applied the rest of Islam! When charity has been established, meaning it is collected from the rich and given to the poor, there is no need to steal if he is already receiving support from the wealth of the Muslims.

Let's look at this issue further. The punishment for stealing is to cut off the hand. But applying this punishment has a very strict set of conditions.

First, we need to ensure all the teachings of Islam are in practice. For example, we cannot leave the practice of collecting the obligatory charity before applying the punishment for stealing. An example is found in Umar ibn al-Khattab. When he was the leader of the faithful, he inquired to one of his governors, "What do you do when a thief is brought to you?" The governor said, "I cut off his hand." Umar said, "Then, if a hungry person from your district comes to me, I should order the cutting of your hand! I did not appoint you to humiliate the people or to put them into poverty. I appointed you to remove their hunger, and to promote justice among them." From this hadith we understand that if a person steals out of hunger or desperation of poverty, it is not permissible to chop his hand off according to sharia.

In fact, Umar withheld the punishment for stealing in a year of extreme hardship, when the people were facing a famine. For an entire year Umar ordered that no one be subjected to the usual punishment for stealing because the thief might be a needy person in dire straights. This is in line with Muhammad's (pbuh) order in sharia law: Remove the punishments in the case of doubt.

Islam has ordered the ruler to feed the people, and to teach the ignorant in the matters of religion, and to take care of the orphan, and to tend to the sick, and to provide shelter for the homeless. Then, and only then, if a person steals not due to some need but due to mischief, the punishment of stealing will be applicable to him or her. But we should remember that in order to apply the punishment, the thief must have stolen a significant amount. The punishment of chopping off the hand is not applicable if someone stole an insignificant amount, such as $20 here in America. The person who stole must not have stake of ownership, so the punishment will not be given to the one who teals from his father's house, and punishment will not be given to a person who steals from the treasury of the Muslims. In such cases, a lesser punishment, such as time in prison, may be given. This is called Tadheer.

Furthermore, punishment cannot be given to an ignorant person, one who does not know what is permissible and what is forbidden. In this regard, sharia law is more merciful than the law of the United States, because the argument that one is ignorant of the law is not a valid argument in America.

The next condition, and this is a very important one, is that the punishment can only be determined and ordered by the ruler, and not by the people among themselves, and the ruler can only apply them after going through all the criteria. So honor killings, the practice of killing relatives, in particular girls, for possibly committing adultery, is not a killing of honor but an outright murder. Muslims absolutely cannot take matters into their own hands regarding these punishments. If they cannot resolve the situation among themselves, they must go to the local authority and argue their case there, and be willing to accept whatever punishment (if any) the ruler decides. So here in America, because we have no authority on sharia who is in charge and can decide the punishment, there is no sharia punishment for any of these offenses. Instead we rely on the government of the United States to do with these cases as they see fit.

Finally, we must answer the question that many people answer for themselves incorrectly. Can sharia law be applied to non-Muslims? The answer is "No." Non-Muslims, whether they are Jews or Christians or Hindus or Buddhists are not required to follow Islamic sharia law. Sharia law is only for Muslims. So these claims that Muslims are trying to slowly implement sharia, also known as creeping sharia, are absolutely false.

Dear brothers and sisters, we should not be unfair to Islam, or to sharia law, and we should not believe that sharia means only chopping off hands, or lashing people, or stoning them. Sharia also means to take care of orphans, to give charity, to help the needy, to take care of the sick, and to give shelter to the homeless. Similarly, sharia orders us to be kind and just to parents, neighbors, and non-Muslims.

Sharia law is a whole, not a part. Only when the above conditions have been fulfilled is it then permissible to apply punishment to the Muslims who break the commandments, since they are the transgressors.

I invite all of you, my brothers and sisters in Islam, to learn the correct sharia law and understand its meanings, and advise you not to discuss sharia if you don't understand it. I wish to make an important point that Islam is a religion of mercy, and Muhammad (pbuh) was a prophet of mercy. Muhammad (pbuh) told us a story of a woman who entered the hellfire because she locked up an unwanted cat without food or water, and it died of hunger. So, when Islam gives so much importance to the right of a mere animal, and forbids torturing them, does it make sense for Islam to be cruel to the best of creations - humans - whom Allah has honored?

Gossip and Slander

from the January 14, 2011 sermon

Allah, to whom all praise and glory is due, says:

Say to the servants of Allah that they should only speak those words that are the best. Surely, Satan sows (disagreements) among them. Surely, Satan is a plain enemy to mankind.

Abu Huraira narrated that Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked his companions, "Do you know who is bankrupt?" They answered, "The bankrupt among us is the one who has neither wealth nor possessions." Muhammad (pbuh) said, "The bankrupt of my people will be the one who will come on Judgment Day with deeds of prayer, fasting, and charity, but he also reviled so-and-so, slandered so-and-so, illegally devoured so-and-so's wealth, killed so-and-so, and struck-so-and-so. His good deeds will be credited to their accounts, and if his good deeds fall short of their claims, their sins will be deposited in his account, and then he will be thrown in the Fire."

The evils of the tongue are varied. We described two of these in the previous sermons (lying and backbiting). Now I will describe another evil of the tongue we should beware, and that is gossip and slander. Gossip and slander is that a person improperly narrates the speech or actions of a person to another person with the intention of causing that person harm (defamation of character). This type of person might say, "So-and-so said this about you", and then tells another story to the other person, in order to sow enmity and hatred amongst them. These stories may contain truth or lies or both. Regardless, Allah has forbidden gossip and slander:

Do not obey every worthless habitual swearer, scorner, going about with malicious gossip -- a preventer of good, transgressing and sinful.

And Muhammad (pbuh) said, a person who goes about gossiping will not enter Paradise. So gossip and slander are grave sins, and is a cause for punishment in the grave.

Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that Allah's messenger (pbuh) passed by two graves and said, "These two are receiving punishment, and that too not for a major sin. But indeed they are great sins. One of them used to let his clothing be soiled with urine, and the other one used to go about gossiping (to rouse hostilities).

In the narration of Imam Ahmad, Muhammad (pbuh) said, "The worst of people are the slanderers going about with gossip, sowing enmity among friends, prodding into people's shortcomings."

Slandering and defaming are not the characteristics of a believer. A slanderer has two faces, to some people he shows one face, and to others he shows another. This is the characteristic of a hypocrite, not a believer. Muhammad (pbuh) warned us to safeguard ourselves from it:

Beware the worst person in front of Allah on the Day of Judgment: A person with two faces, approaching some with one face, and approaching some with another.

A true believer has a single face that he shows to the people, and a single tongue with which he speaks only that which pleases Allah, to whom all praise and glory is due.

So, why do people slander and gossip? One reason that prompts a person to slander is envy and hatred. These feelings incite a person to malign another person. Another reason is ignorance of Allah and the Messenger's injunction against it. If the slanderer knows the punishment for this sin (not entering Paradise and suffering in the Hellfire), he would not indulge in it. Indeed, Muhammad said, "A slanderer will not enter Paradise."

Allah has described nine characteristics of an evil person in Surah Al Qalam. Allah says:

Do not yield to every mean swearer, a slanderer, going about with gossip, hinderer of good, transgressor, sinful, cruel, moreover wicked.

These nine characteristics are:

1. Swearing often. A person who swears by God often is likely a liar who thinks that people will not believe him or her otherwise.
2. A mean person who has no dignity, who neither respects him or herself, nor do people respect him or her.
3. A slanderer, who is used to defaming and degrading people because he or she is not just in action and speech.
4. A person who goes about with juicy gossip, spreading mischief and telling lies to sow enmity between friends.
5. A person who hinders all that is good, from him or herself and others, and thwarts entry into Paradise.
6. A person who is a transgressor and oppressor.
7. A person who perpetually commits sins and unlawful acts.
8. A cruel person, who is therefore not liked by people.
9. A person who is wicked, and none are safe from his or her mischief. 

A person involved in gossiping needs to repent to Allah and save the tongue from gossip, because an evil characteristic is often accompanied by another such characteristic, or worse. Gossip, for example, is often accompanied by lying and hypocrisy. The sin of gossip leads to other sins, and even to the sin of killing, as is narrated in this story:

A man intended to purchase a servant from another person. The seller warned him that the person is a gossip and a slanderer. The man said, "No problem, this is simple and I can deal with it." So he purchased the servant. After a few days, the servant said to the man's wife, "Your husband wants to divorce you and marry another woman. Should I tell you how to avoid it?" The wife nodded in agreement. The servant continued, "When your husband is sleeping, get a razor and cut some hairs from his beard." The wife agreed to do so. Then the servant approached the husband and said, "Your wife wants to cut your throat in your sleep and then marry her lover, so beware of her." In the evening, the man lay down and pretended to sleep. When the wife approached with a razor in hand, he jumped, took the razor, and killed her with it. When her family learned of his crime, they killed him in retaliation. All of this happened because of the slander on the part of one evil servant.

Gossip caused the wife of Prophet Lot (peace be upon him) to enter into Hellfire. Whenever guests came to Lot (pbuh), she would reveal this to evil people, so she was made to enter the Hellfire with them, even though she did not lie but merely relayed the actions of her husband. This same characteristic caused the wife of Prophet Noah (pbuh) to enter into Hellfire:

Allah has set forth an example for the disbelievers: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Allah's righteous servants, but they both betrayed them. So they (Noah and Lot) could not protect them (their wives) from Allah at all, and it was said to them (the wives): "Enter the fire along with those who enter!"

The scholars have said that the betrayal of the wives of Noah and Lot (pbut) was gossip. When Allah revealed something to Noah (pbuh), his wife relayed it to other people. And when Lot received guests in his house, his wife relayed their presence to evil people.

It is said that the act of gossip is more harmful than an act of Satan, because Satan works by whispering, whereas a gossip works in the open. Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Whoever propagated a word from a Muslim in order to scandalize the Muslim, Allah will condemn him (the gossip) to Hellfire on the Day of Judgment."

What should we do in the face of gossip and slander? If a person comes to you and says, "So-and-so said 'such-and-such about you, or intends such-and-such for you", what should we do?

We should do the following things:

1. Do not believe the gossip nor his story, as Allah has said, "Oh you who believe! If a rebellious, evil person comes to you with news, verify it, lest you should harm people in ignorance and afterwards become regretful for what you have done."
2. Advise the person to give up gossip because Allah and His messenger (pbuh) have forbidden it.
3. Do not entertain evil thoughts about your fellow Muslim. Allah has said, "Oh you who believe! Avoid much of suspicion, indeed some are sins."
4. Do not spy on your fellow Muslim after hearing these things, because Allah has warned us, "Do not spy."
5. Do not continue the gossip among other people, otherwise you will be in the same category with the gossip.

Hasan Basari said, "He who spreads gossip to you, also spreads gossip about you."

Dear brothers and sisters, I advise you and myself to stay far away from slandering others, and to save our tongues from gossip. Know it well that each of us will be held accountable for the words uttered by our tongues and for our actions.

Finally, the cure for gossip is the following:

1. Remember that if we save our tongues from backbiting and slandering, we will enter Paradise (by Allah's will).
2. Remember that the person who spreads gossip and slander will litigate against him or herself on Judgment Day, and will be the recipient of the gossip's good deeds, and if the good deeds are not sufficient, the gossip will receive the bad deeds of the victim, and enter into Hellfire (Allah forbid).
3. Remember death, the grave, the reckoning, and the Day of Judgment.
4. If your ego (nafs) incites you to gossip, remember that you are in fact inviting Allah's wrath.

I advise all of us that when a gossip approaches us, we do not listen to the words of the gossip, and remember that gossiping is a sin. Save your tongue and ears from listening to it.

And Allah knows best.

The dangers of lying

Allah, to whom all praise and glory is due, said:

Not a word does one utter but there is a watcher by it ready (to record).

 And Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

Truth leads to piety, and piety leads to paradise. A man persists in speaking the truth until he is recorded with Allah as a truthful person. Falsehood leads to transgression, and transgression leads to Hellfire. A man continues to lie until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.

Lying is to speak opposite of reality or opposite of truth, and this is forbidden by Allah and His messenger (pbuh). It is narrated that Muhammad (pbuh) was asked, "Can a believer be a coward?" Muhammad (pbuh) answered, "Yes." He was further asked, "Can a believer be stingy?" He (pbuh) answered, "Yes." He was then asked, "Can a believer be a liar?" He (pbuh) responded, "No."

Thus, Muhammad (pbuh) ruled that though a believer may be a coward or stingy due to weakness in faith, he cannot be a liar, as lying is not a characteristic of the believers.

Allah, to whom all praise and glory is due, said:

Surely, Allah does not guide the one who is a transgressor, a liar!

And Allah, to whom all praise and glory is due, said:

It is only those who believe not in the verses of Allah who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who are liars.

Zain al-Abideen Ali bin Hussan (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his children, "Beware of lies, whether small or big, in serious talk and in jokes, because the one who lies in small things also lies in big things. Know it that the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'A man persists in speaking the truth until he is recorded with Allah as a truthful person. A man continues to lie until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.'"

Lying is a terrible thing that has several manifestations. Among these are false oaths, false testimony, breaking promises, and lying for entertainment.

False Oath

When a man gives a false oath by swearing about something that he knows to be false, this is the biggest of all lies. Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Beware of the false oath, as it causes destruction of a house with its inhabitants."

We often observe traders and merchants taking false oaths to describe their merchandise to be good when in fact it is not. This false oath is called in Arabic as the Oath of Ghamoos and it pushes a person toward hellfire. One who makes a false of should repent and never return to lying.

Abdullah ibn Umer ibn Al-Aas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that a Bedouin came to Muhammad (pbuh) and said, "Oh Messenger of Allah! Which sins are the cardinal sins?" Muhammad (pbuh) said, "To associate partners with Allah." The Bedouin said, "Then which one?" He (pbuh) said, "al-yameen al-ghamoos". Abdullah asked, "What is al-yameen al-ghamoos?" Muhammad (pbuh) answered, "Swearing falsely to usurp the property of a Muslim."

Abu Umama Al-Harithi narrated that Muhammad (pbuh) said, "He who usurped the right of a Muslim through false oath, Allah will surely put him into Fire, and will forbid him Paradise." A man said, "Even for a small thing, O Messenger of Allah?" Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Even for a piece of Miswak (a small stick used to clean the teeth)!"

False testimony

False testimony is a grave thing as it results in freeing the oppressor and punishing the oppressed, and destroys Muslim unity. That is why Allah commanded:

Shun false statements.

 Abu Bakhra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Muhammad (pbuh) said, "'Shouldn't I inform you of the biggest of cardinal sins?' We said, 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah!' He (pbuh) said, 'Associating partners with Allah and disobedience to the parents.' He was reclining and then he sat up and said, 'Beware of false statements.' And he (pbuh) kept on repeating this until we wished he would stop."

Allah and His messenger (pbuh) have forbidden false oath and false testimony as these are harmful for Muslims both in this world and the Hereafter. The one who indulges in false oath and false testimony invites the wrath of Allah in this world and the Hereafter. And a similar fate is due to the one who assists someone in false oath or false testimony. Allah said:

Help one another in righteousness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and transgression.

Breaking Promises and Lying for Entertainment

Keeping a promise is one of the characteristics of a believer, and breaking the promise is the characteristic of the hypocrite. Allah told us about Ishmael (pbuh):

Mention in the Book about Ishmael. Surely! He was true in his promise, and he was a messenger, and a prophet.

Some scholars said that Ishmael (pbuh) promised a person for something and then waited for him for one year but the person did not return.

When a person makes a promise he should fulfill it. Unfortunately, some Muslims break their promises and thus cause a breaking of Muslim unity. We as an ummah need to refrain from such behavior as it is forbidden (haraam).

Lying for entertainment means to forge a lie to make other people laugh. This is forbidden. Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Woe to him who utters a falsehood to make people laugh. Woe to him. Again, woe to him."

Every single category of lying is harmful and dangerous. One of the ways lying harms us is that a liar is not trusted by people. Even if he tells the truth, people will assume it is a lie. Another way lies harm is that it weakens Muslim unity. A truthful person is honored and respected by people, and this helps strengthen Muslim unity.

What Causes a Person to Lie?

One of the causes that prompts a person to lie is habit. A person may tell lies out of habit, e.g. he or she is a habitual liar. Another cause is greed. A person who is greedy and not content with what Allah provides for him or her is prone to lying. Another cause is enmity and envy. A person who has envy or enmity for other people is vulnerable to telling lies.

How Do We Stop Lying?

We should strive to speak the truth and shun lying, as this is one way to end lying. Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Knowledge comes by learning, and tolerance comes by practice, and he who seeks good is given that." So, when a Muslim tries to practice patience, Allah gives the Muslim patience. And when a Muslim tries to practice tolerance, Allah gives the Muslim toleranc. And when a Muslim tries to give up lying, telling the truth will be easy for the Muslim.

Another way to stop lying is to listen to the stories of the Companions and their followers. Truthfulness was among the characteristics that they had learned from Muhammad (pbuh), who was called As-Sadiq, Al-Amin (the truthful, the trust worthy); he (pbuh) neither lied, nor broke trust.

Remember that Allah, to whom all praise and glory is due, said:

O you who believe! Be conscious of Allah, and be with those who are truthful.

And Allah knows best.