Badges mark quoted or attributed material (Qur'an, hadith, another author, an opposing view). Unbadged passages are Maulana Wahiduddin Khan's own words.
FULFILLING PROMISES
Fulfilling a promise is a deed of a noble ethical quality and faith encourages this most sublime virtue. Fulfilling promise is a sign of possessing a predictable character.
In social life while dealing with others it happens repeatedly that one person makes a promise to someone else. Such a promise is apparently between two individuals or two groups. But there is the third party, and that is God, who is necessarily present as a witness. This being so, every promise becomes a divine commitment.
That is why a believer becomes extremely sensitive regarding promises. He is convinced of the fact that every promise made by one to another is under the eyes of God, and that one who makes a promise will be accountable to God. This conviction compels him to be extremely responsible with regard to promises. Whenever he makes a promise, he should certainly fulfil it.
In a society where people are of such a character that they fulfil their promises, every individual becomes predictable in character. In such a society that special quality prevails on a vast scale. Throughout the rest of the universe, every celestial body functions with 100% accuracy. For instance, one can know in advance about the rotation of the stars and planets and as to where they would be after the next hundred or thousand years. Similarly, in regard to water we know in advance at what degree it will come to boiling point. In this way, the whole universe has become of a predictable character.
In a society where people fulfil their promises, many other virtues flourish. For instance, in such a society people do not quarrel in their dealings, and there is an atmosphere of trust in one another. In such a society, all live in a peaceful state because they have no fear that others will break their promises in their dealings with them.
Fulfilling a promise is a deed of a noble ethical quality and faith encourages this most sublime virtue.