Dear Brothers and Sisters!

One of the most valued moral qualities in Islam is loyalty. Loyalty means, on one hand, fulfilling promises and maintaining relationships, while on the other, not forgetting being appreciative and showing gratitude and faithfulness in return. Being loyal requires that a person’s heart and words are truthful. Accordingly, a loyal person does not make promises they cannot keep, and if they do make a promise, they fulfill it. A loyal person does not overlook the kindness shown to them, does not act ungratefully and does not repay kindness with harm. The Qur’an, states: “Remember the favour of Allah upon you, and the covenant by which He bound you when you said, ‘We hear and we obey.’ And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of what is within the hearts.”[1]

Rasulullah (saw) mentioned the signs of a hypocrite, stating that they lie when they speak, break their promises and betray trusts placed in them. If we pay attention, we see that the root of these three evils lies in disloyalty. Being loyal is fundamental to maintaining order in all relationships. Loyalty within a family, between spouses, from children to their parents, among relatives, and between workers and employers in the workplace is essential for peace and orderly life. Indeed, the Prophet (saw) gave us six important pieces of advice for leading a righteous life: “Guarantee me six things on your part, and I will guarantee you Paradise: be truthful when you speak, keep your promises, honour trusts placed in you, maintain your chastity, guard your gaze from what is forbidden, and refrain from wrongful acts with your hands.”[2]

Dear Jama’ah!

When we think of loyalty, it’s not only relationships between people that come to mind. For a believer, true loyalty is primarily towards Allah (swt), who created them from nothing and granted all the blessings they possess. Before sending us into this world of testing, Allah (swt) asked, “Am I not your Lord?” and all of humanity replied, “Yes! You are our Lord.” We pledged to remain loyal to our Creator. After stepping into this world, some have upheld this promise by staying faithful to Allah and adhering to His rules, while others have broken their promise, following their desires and Shaytan, thereby showing disloyalty.

A person’s loyalty depends, above all, on their firm belief in the Day of Judgment. Believing in a day when each promise will be questioned leads one to act loyally. Allah (swt) has stated, “O you who believe! Fulfill your contracts”[3] affirming that loyalty is a requirement of faith.

The Messenger of Allah (saw) also described the state of those who fail to honour their promises on the Day of Judgment: “When Allah gathers the first and the last people on the Day of Judgment, a flag will be raised for every person who acted disloyally, and it will be announced, ‘This is the betrayal of so-and-so.’” [4] 

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The Messenger of Allah (saw) was a model and leader in loyalty, just as he was in all aspects of good character. He never broke any of his promises and he was never indifferent to the kindness shown to him by others, always remembering them. His loyalty is well illustrated in this example narrated by Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): “I never felt as jealous of any of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) wives as I did of Khadijah, though I had never seen her (as she passed away before I married him). This was because the Prophet (peace be upon him) would frequently remember her. Sometimes he would sacrifice a sheep and send them to Khadijah’s friends. Sometimes I would say, ‘It’s as if there is no woman in the world but Khadijah.’ and the Messenger of Allah would reply, ‘Khadijah was this way, and Khadijah was that way. And from her, I have my children.’”[5]

May Allah (swt) make us loyal to Him, His Messenger and all believers. Ameen.

[1] Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:7

[2] İbn Hanbel, V, 323

[3] Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:1

[4] Müslim, Cihad ve Siyer, 9

[5] Buhârî, Menâkıbü’l-ensâr, 20

Khutba – Loyalty and Faithfulness