What Does It Mean to be Entrusted with Things – Nouman Ali Khan When our children are being entrusted, not just older kids who’s college tuition sometimes the parents are paying. But even younger kids, when you’re providing for their schooling and their transportation.
And they get to a certain age where they have pretty well-developed conscience. When they’re cutting classes, or they’re not doing their homework, or they’re not paying attention in school. They need to understand something, they’re not just getting away with it at the school, or they’re not just violating the rights of their parents.
Their parents entrusted them with something. It’s not an easy thing to afford an education for our children. And when you’ve been entrusted with that, that you’re gonna make good use for it. Or kids ask, “Can I have a phone?” Which is like asking, “Can I have a nuclear device?” But we are okay with giving our kids phones nowadays.
“Okay, here’s a phone and here’s 5G, take it!” “Of course you’ll only use it for halal, so it’s okay.” “My children, because we come from a Muslim family, and we have last names like Muhammad, and Ali, and whatever, therefore we are genetically incapable of doing anything wrong with our cellular devices, so it’s completely fine.
” “You go ahead, you’re not like the other kids.” “So you’re okay.” And we hand it over. We don’t even train our children with this principle that you have to take something and you have to give it its full right.
When you’re being entrusted with something, that means nobody’s watching over you, and you’re still doing the right thing. And it is Allah who commands you to do that. (QS An Nisa: 58) (إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا۟ ٱلْأَمَـٰنَـٰتِ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهَا) I talked to you about traffic, I talk to you about employers, I talk to you about kids at school.
Even older kids who’s your parents are paying for your college tuition, and you’re skipping classes, and hanging out with your friends in the student lounge. You’re violating a trust that Allah gave you.
Allah gave you that. They spent sweat and tears to earn that income to pay for your college tuition, and you’re gonna go play ping pong? And you’re gonna do whatever else and not do your assignments? And not put your heart and soul into your education? “I don’t feel like it, I’m not sure what my major is yet.
” These guys into college for like four years and they’re like, “What’s your major?” “Still deciding.” “You’re still deciding???” This is the violation of amanah that has been given to you. The blessing that has been given to you, and it’s not okay to do that.
And it goes even further than that. This one small statement, it is in fact Allah, He’s the one commanding you to fulfill the trust that you’ve been given to those who deserve them. To do right by people when they trust you with something.
In simple English, if you’ve been trusted with something, do right by it. Just because somebody can’t catch you, or they’re not there, don’t go behind their back, and say, “Well they didn’t find out, so it’s okay.
” It’s the same kind of trust that exists in family relations. It’s the same kind of trust that exists between husband and wife. Not everything has to be spelled out. A husband knows that my wife wouldn’t like this, this, or this.
Well, she’s not here, so it’s okay! But she trusted me, I shouldn’t be doing that. And the same way, the other way around, the wife knows, the husband wouldn’t like it if he found out. He wouldn’t be happy, he would think it’s a violation of his trust.
But it’s okay because he’s not here. And nobody took a picture right? So it’s okay. Nobody recorded it, right? So it’s okay. I got away with it. But Allah is recording it. (إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا۟ ٱلْأَمَـٰنَـٰتِ إِلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهَا) This is a commandment from Allah.
This is not just a violation of a relationship, this is a violation of Allah’s commandment. And we have to understand life that way. That every trust that we live with, when we’re not able to fulfill it is one thing.
The Arab poet says, (إذا قلت في شيء نعم فأتمه) (فإن نعم دين) “If you’re gonna say, ‘yes’ to something, then you better do it.” “If you agreed, then you better fulfill it.” (فإن “نعم” دين على الحر واجب) “For a decent person, once you say, ‘yes’, you’ve been obligated.
” I’m taking it a step further from the poet, based on the Quran. Once you said, ‘yes’, Allah obligated you. And you’re like, “Well I can’t do it.” Well if you can’t do it, then go back and say, “(“والا فقل “لا)” If you can’t do it, just say no, or I can’t do it anymore.
Be open about it, honest about it, instead of being dishonest. And so, this is the mentality that we have to reintroduce into the ummah.
