Hazrat Ma'awiya RAA was at one time governor of Syria. He was off and on at war with the Roman kingdom. Rome was one of the superpower at that time. At one point Hazrat Ma'awiya entered into a peace treaty with them that they wouldn't go to war until a certain date. Before that date came Hazrat Ma'awiya thought of a plan to place his army near the border. He thought that while he would respect the armistice date, he could attack immediately after the armistice came to an end. As the Romans would not be expecting an attack immediately after that date as they would not be expecting the Muslim army to mobilise so soon, they could be defeated quickly.
Hazrat Ma'awiya RAA placed his army on the border, and some of it even across the border, and prepared to attack. As soon as the sun set down on the last date of the treaty the Muslim army attacked. As the Roman Army was not prepared for such a quick attack the war tactic worked very well and the Muslim army started capturing towns and cities. All of a sudden they saw that a horse rider was coming from the direction of Arabia. Hazrat Ma'awiya stopped to find out if there was any message from the Caliph. When the rider approached hazrat Ma'awiya saw that it was Hazrat Amr Bin Absah RAA.
When Hazrat Ma'awiya asked him what the matter was Hazrat Amr Bin Absah RAA said, "It is the characteristic of a Muslim to be faithful, not to lie and not to break a promise." Hazrat Ma'awiya said, "I have not broken any promise. I attacked after the treaty had expired." But Hazrat Amr Bin Abash said that as Hazrat Ma'awiya had started preparing for war, and had also placed some of his army inside the Roman border before the treaty had expired, he had breached the treaty. Hazrat Amr then said that he had personally heard Rasool Allah SAW say that if you have a treaty with another nation do not breach it and do not alter it until the treaty has expired, or you clearly warn them that you want to end the treaty, and because Hazrat Ma'awiya RAA had started preparing for war without warning the other party that the treaty had ended, or before the treaty had officially ended, therefore what he had done was not in accordance with the teachings of Rasool Allah SAW.
Now imagine that there is a victorious army which is making advance and winning battle after battle, but as soon as Hazrat Ma'awiya RAA heard what Rasool Allah SAW had said he ordered his army to retreat and return all the conquered land to Romans. Why? Because the primary objective was not expanding one's empire, or conquering new lands, the primary objective was to please Allah SWT. So as soon as he found out that what he had done was breaking a promise, and breaking a promise would displease Allah SWT, he immediately returned the conquered land and went back to his own territory. This is what keeping one's promise should be like, that once one's word is given it should be kept, no matter how high the cost.
Adapted from the talk "Breaking a Promise" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB.
Hazrat Ma'awiya RAA placed his army on the border, and some of it even across the border, and prepared to attack. As soon as the sun set down on the last date of the treaty the Muslim army attacked. As the Roman Army was not prepared for such a quick attack the war tactic worked very well and the Muslim army started capturing towns and cities. All of a sudden they saw that a horse rider was coming from the direction of Arabia. Hazrat Ma'awiya stopped to find out if there was any message from the Caliph. When the rider approached hazrat Ma'awiya saw that it was Hazrat Amr Bin Absah RAA.
When Hazrat Ma'awiya asked him what the matter was Hazrat Amr Bin Absah RAA said, "It is the characteristic of a Muslim to be faithful, not to lie and not to break a promise." Hazrat Ma'awiya said, "I have not broken any promise. I attacked after the treaty had expired." But Hazrat Amr Bin Abash said that as Hazrat Ma'awiya had started preparing for war, and had also placed some of his army inside the Roman border before the treaty had expired, he had breached the treaty. Hazrat Amr then said that he had personally heard Rasool Allah SAW say that if you have a treaty with another nation do not breach it and do not alter it until the treaty has expired, or you clearly warn them that you want to end the treaty, and because Hazrat Ma'awiya RAA had started preparing for war without warning the other party that the treaty had ended, or before the treaty had officially ended, therefore what he had done was not in accordance with the teachings of Rasool Allah SAW.
Now imagine that there is a victorious army which is making advance and winning battle after battle, but as soon as Hazrat Ma'awiya RAA heard what Rasool Allah SAW had said he ordered his army to retreat and return all the conquered land to Romans. Why? Because the primary objective was not expanding one's empire, or conquering new lands, the primary objective was to please Allah SWT. So as soon as he found out that what he had done was breaking a promise, and breaking a promise would displease Allah SWT, he immediately returned the conquered land and went back to his own territory. This is what keeping one's promise should be like, that once one's word is given it should be kept, no matter how high the cost.
Adapted from the talk "Breaking a Promise" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB.
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