Definition of a 'promise' in Islam

24-8-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

Is breaking the agreement the same as breaking a promise?...i.e., is agreement and the promise the same thing?

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.

Al-Hattaab (from the Maaliki School of jurisprudence) stated: "On the other hand, a promise  (Wa'd)] is not a binding commitment obliging the person to do – or not do – something now, but it is rather, as Ibn ‘Arafah defined it, ‘a statement that denotes the person's intention to do something good in the future’ …” [Tahreer Al-Kalaam fi Masaa’il Al-Eltizaam]

Al-‘Ayni  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said, “Conventionally, [a promise is to declare one's intention to do something good in the future.”

Hence, if there was an agreement to do a good deed in the future, it is considered a promise, and failing to do that good deed is considered a breach of the promise.

Please, refer to Fatwa 86010 about keeping promises.

Allaah Knows best.

www.islamweb.net