Amanah

What is the meaning of Amanah? 

In Arabic, Amanah means trust, honesty and loyalty. Having an Amanah means having a trust or responsibility to something or someone- for example, if someone has left something in our possession, it is considered an Amanah. 

In Islam, Amanah refers to having integrity, and using our free will to carry out our duties and responsibilities towards Allah and His creation in the correct way. 

The root of Amanah comes from the word Iman- meaning faith, or belief. This reflects the integral role Amanah has to our religion and relationship with Allah (SWT). 

What Quran says about Amanah? 

There are many Quran Ayahs which refer to the significance of Amanah, and the importance of honouring our trusts and responsibilities.  

These Amanah can be divided into two categories: 

1. The trust that must be honoured towards our Creator
2. The trust that must be honoured towards His creatures

 Below are some references to  Amanah in the Quran and Hadith: 

According to the majority of scholars, the word trust in this verse includes all religious commitment that one must fulfil. (Qurtubi)

Amanah is mentioned again in the following Ayah:

“Verily! Allah commands that you should render back the trusts to those, to whom they are due; and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice. Verily, how excellent is the teaching which He (Allah) gives you! Truly, Allah is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer.” (Al-Nisa, 4: 58)

Ibn Kathir explains that the command in this verse relates to all that one is required to take care of, such as Allah’s rights toward His servants, including prayer, zakat, fasting, paying for sins, making vows, and other obligations. The command also covers the obligations that people have to one another, such as the tasks that they delegate. Allah orders the fulfilment of all kinds of trusts. On the Day of Resurrection, those who do not carry out this instruction in this life will have it taken away from them.

What are the main principles of Amanah? 

The main principles of Amanah are: 

• Trust: Behaving in a trustworthy manner towards Allah (SWT) and His people. Aiming to never break our own or others’ trust. Being transparent, and honouring our trusts in full. 
• Responsibility: Understanding the responsibility we have been given towards Allah (SWT) and others and doing our best to fulfil our responsibilities in the best way possible. 
• Integrity: Upholding the highest moral standards when fulfilling our Amanah.
• Accountability: Holding ourselves to account in terms of how we are fulfilling our Amanah, and understanding that we are accountable to Allah (SWT), as well as to those who have rights over us.

What is the importance of Amanah? 

Amanah is integral to our lives and faith. Allah (SWT) has entrusted us with free will and time, but it is an Amanah which we must respect. Therefore, we should  ensure that we are fulfilling our religious obligations and duties. 

Our bodies are also an Amana from Allah (SWT), which we must take care of. 

Allah (SWT) has also made us stewards of the earth, and so the environment and all of Allah’s creation are an Amanah for us, that we must respect. 

The concept of Amanah is fundamental to all business and personal dealings, and to the running of a successful, peaceful society. 

If we do not honour our trusts and responsibilities, we may gain Allah (SWT’s) displeasure, as Amanah is part of our Iman. It can also lead to corruption and mistrust, as well as breakdowns in family and community structures. 

What is an example of Amanah? 

The best place to look for an example of Amanah in practice, is in the life of the Prophet (PBUH). The Prophet (PBUH) was known as Al-Amin- The Trustworthy One, and would fulfil his Amanah in the best way possible. 

The disbelievers of Makkah who rejected the Prophet (PBUH)’s message and became his enemies, still trusted only Him with their belongings when they travelled, demonstrating how importantly he took his Amanah. 

 During the Hijra Sharif (the blessed migration of the Prophet (PBUH) from Makkah to Madina), when the Prophet (PBUH) escaped the oppression of Madina, he asked his beloved cousin Iman Ali ibn Abu Talib (AS) to stay behind and return the possessions of all those who had entrusted them to him, ensuring that everything was returned to his enemies (Ibn Hashim). 

What Quran says about trust in Allah? 

In the Quran, we  are also taught that we should have complete trust, or reliance in Allah (SWT). 

“And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah then He will suffice him.” (65:3)    

“O you who believe, remember Allah’s  blessings upon you; when some people extended their hands to aggress against you, He protected you and withheld their hands. You shall observe Allah; in Allah the believers shall trust. (5:11)

In that way, the whole creation is in the trust or care of Allah (SWT), and He alone is our carer and protector. This concept should help bring comfort to our lives, particularly when we are facing challenges in our life.

What is trust and Amanah? 

Trust and Amanah is the concept of having a responsibility towards our duties and obligations, and making sure we are careful, trustworthy and considerate in how we manage the trusts given to us by Allah (SWT) and others. 

The following scenarios  are examples of trusts and Amanah: 

• Financial rights, such as items left for safekeeping, and loans 
• Keeping others’ secrets
• Being in a position of responsibility. 

As you can see, it’s extremely important  that we manage the Amanah given by us to Allah (SWT) and his creation in the best way possible, and take time to reflect on how we are dealing with the Amanah given to us. May Allah (SWT) help us in our efforts. Ameen.