The Concept
of
Amanah
The Messenger of Allah used to say: “The person who
does not keep trust has no Iman (faith) and the person
who does not respect his covenant (and promise) has no
religion.” (hadith)
"The signs of a hypocrite are three: … (c) If he is
entrusted, he does not honour his trust (he proves to be
dishonest)” (hadith)
"When would the Hour (Doomsday) take place?" …
"When honesty is lost, then wait for the Hour
(Doomsday)." (hadith)
"How will that be lost?" The Prophet said, "When the
power or authority comes in the hands of unfit persons,
then wait for the Hour (Doomsday.)” (hadith)
What is Amanah?
Honesty
Responsibility
Amanah
Sincerity
Trustworthiness


Literally, amanah means, being honest and
sincere in doing things and being safe or
abstaining from indulging in acts prohibited by
God
Technically, amanah signifies fulfilling one’s
responsibility towards God as well as to that of
humans

Practically, amanah stands for fulfilling one’s
responsibility in all dimensions of one’s life and
relationship. That is why the Prohet (saw) declared:
“Everyone of you is a guardian and every one will be asked
about his subjects. The leader is a guardian, he will be
asked about his subjects. A man is the guardian of the
persons in his household. He is answerable about them. A
woman is the guardian of her husband’s house. She will be
asked about her responsibility. The servant is the guardian
of the articles of his master. He is answerable about the
responsibilty of his” (hadith)
Various Aspects of Amanah
Amanah
Vicegerency
Family
Business
Secrets
Work/ public office
Wealth & abilities
Vicegerency


‫ض َو ْال ِجبَا ِل فَأَبَي َْن أ َ ْن‬
ْ ‫ع َر‬
ِ ‫س َم َاوا‬
َّ ‫علَى ال‬
ِ ‫ت َواأل َ ْر‬
َ َ‫ضنَا األ َ َمانَة‬
َ ‫{ ِإنَّا‬
َ ‫ان‬
})72( ‫َلو اما َجهواا‬
َ ََ َُّ‫سان ِإن‬
َ ‫اإل ْن‬
ِ ‫يَ ْح ِم ْلنَ َها َوأ َ ْشفَ ْق َن ِم ْن َها َو َح َملَ َها‬
.)‫(سورة األحزاب‬
“We did offer trust to the heavens and the earth
and the mountains. But they refused to undertake it,
being afraid thereof; but man undertook it—he was
indeed unjust and foolish (ignorant that some may
betray it)” (33: 72)

to rule according to God’s will and purpose
and His pleasure

This ‘rule’—not only in the socio-political sense of
ruling, but more fundamentally, the rule of one’s
self by itself, since the trust refers to responsibility
and freedom of the self to do justice to itself
Family (Domestic Life)

To fulfill our responsibilities towards our family
members and provide them with guidance and
maintenance
“Every one of you is a guardian and every one will be
asked about his subjects... A man is the guardian of the
persons in his household and he will be answerable
about them. A woman is the guardian of her husband’s
house and she will be asked about her responsibility…”
(hadith)


The husband is entrusted with the amanah of
providing maintenance to his wife and children
and to guide his family members to the right
path
The wife has the amanah of guarding her
chastity, and working for the well-being of her
children and family

The Prophet (saw) while talking about the trust
between husband and wife said:
“ Indeed the biggest breach of amanah besides that
of God in the day of resurrection is to spread your
wife’s secret, for instance, a man had an
intercourse with his wife, then he tells others about
his wife’s secret”

The children are an amanah entrusted to their
parents
“ Wealth and sons are allurements of the life in this
world. But the things that endure, good deeds are
the best, in the sight of thy Lord as rewards and
best, as the foundation for hopes.” (al-Kahfi:46)

The children on the other hand, have an amanah to
respect their parents and to take care of them
especially when they are old. As God has ordained:
“ Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and
that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them
attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of
contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of
honour. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of
humility, and say: “My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy
even as they cherished me in childhood”
(al-Isra’: 23-24)
Business

Businessmen should fulfill their own amanah yb
malsI fo sgnihcaet lacihte dna larom ot gnirehda
eht ot syas doG .noisseforp rieht tuo gniyrrac nehw
:tceffe

“If ye are on a journey, and cannot find a scribe, a pledge
with possession (may serve the purpose). And if one of you
deposits a thing on trust with another, let the trustee
(faithfully) discharge his trust, and let him fear his Lord”
)al-Baqarah: )283
Keeping secrets

Maintaining secrecy and confidentiality of
what is required to be confidential ( such as of
a meeting’s decision) is a trust.
“What is said in meetings and meant to be
confidential is a trust” (hadith)
Work & public office

Misuse of office is a betrayal of trust: Using an office
for self-projection, or for the benefit of one’s own
relatives or cronies or using public fund and facilities
for one’s own personal end is a serious crime called
khiyanah in Islam.

“For whomsoever we will entrust with service, the
provision of his need is also our responsibility. If he takes
more than this then he is guilty of khiyanah”

“Whomsoever we have given some post and he has
concealed a needle or a thing smaller than that, then it will
be a misappropriated thing with which he will have to
appear on the Day of Judgment.” (hadith)

“When the administrator is given a job, he
should receive his due and should pay the dues
of others, then he is like a fighter in the cause
of Allah till he returns home.” (hadith)
wealth & ability



A Muslim is duty bound to use his wealth for
the moral and spiritual upliftment of himself
and the community
He is to be ever ready to spend it for worthy
causes of Islam if needed
Likewise he is responsible for making full use
of his abilities to serve God and humanity
“ O ye that believe! Betray not the trust of Allah and
the Messenger, nor misappropriate knowingly
things entrusted to you. And know ye that your
possessions and your progeny are but a trial; and
that it is Allah with whom lies your highest
reward”
(al-Anfal:27-28)
ْ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ ْ ُ َّ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ُ ‫َ ُ و‬
ُ‫ن ْاك َت َس َب ُه‬
ُ َ ‫ن َا ْي‬
ُ ْ ‫ن َما ِل ِ ُه ِم‬
ُ ْ ‫ل َُو َع‬
ُ َ ‫يم َف َع‬
ُ َ ‫ن ِعل ِم ِ ُه ِف‬
ُ ‫ن عم ُِر ُِه ِفيما افن ُاه وع‬
ُ ‫"ال تز ُل قدما عبدُ يو ُم ال ِقيام ِ ُة حتى يسا ُل ع‬
". ‫اله‬
ُُ ‫يم َا ْب‬
ُ َ ‫ن ِج ْس ِم ِ ُه ِف‬
ُ ْ ‫يم َا ْن َف َق ُُه َو َع‬
ُ َ ‫َو ِف‬
“Before the end of the Day of Judgement everyone will be
questioned about the following:
- In what did he spend his life?
- What did he do with his knowledge?
- From where did he get his wealth and on what did he
spend it?
- In what did he use his physical and mental faculties?”
(hadith)