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The word 'fidelity' is a sacred word which is received with respect everywhere and enjoys extra-ordinary importance.

Islam considers fidelity to one's promise to be one of the most excellent human attribute and considers that man to be 'righteous' who keeps his promise.

The holy Qur'an explicitly orders that:
"Keep your promises, because you will be called to account for your promises." Sura Bani Israel, verse 34

And it praises Ishmael (P), the great prophet of Allah, in these words:
"Then you shall tell of Ishmael: he, too, was a prophet, a seer, and a man of his word." Sura Maryam, verse 54

Imam Ali (P) says:
"Fidelity to promise is one of the signs of the religious people."

The holy Prophet says:
"One who does not keep his promise has no faith."

"One who believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment keeps his promise when he makes one."

And again Imam Ali (P) says:
"To fulfil one's promise is a sign of faith."

Islam considers breach of promise to be a sign of hypocrisy.

The holy Prophet (P) says:
"There are four things, the possessor whereof is a hypocrite. (one of them is this that) having made a promise he breaks it."

Conduct of the Prophets

As already mentioned above the holy Qur'an praises Ishmael (as) for being 'a man of his word'.

Imam al Sadiq (as) says:
"He (i.e Ishamael (as) promised to meet a man at a place named 'Safah' which was situated outside Mecca. He stayed there for a long time, but the man did not turn up. People of Mecca were trying to find out his whereabouts, but did not know were he was: At last a man chanced to pass by him and said: 'O Prophet of Allah! We have become weak and have ruined in your absence.' Ishmael (as) said: 'I have made a promise to such and such person that I would stay here and shall not move away till he comes.' The people went to that man and said: 'O enemy of Allah! You have made a promise with Allah's prophet and are breaking it?'

The man then recollected and came to Ishmael (as) and said: 'O Prophet of Allah! (forgive me) I had forgotten the promise.' It was on this account that the Almighty Allah said the sentence about him."

Imam al Sadiq (as) also says:
"The holy Prophet promised a man that he (i.e. the holy Prophet would sit on a stone till he came back. That man went away and the sun rose and the atmosphere became hot. The companions of the holy Prophet said: "O Prophet of Allah! What difference would it make if you leave sunshine and come under a shelter? The holy Prophet replied: 'I have promised to meet him here and if he does not turn up I will stay here till the Day of Judgment."

In fact this is a lesson which makes the importance of keeping a promise abundantly clear. It is the principle the observance whereof in our social life can solve most of our problems.