Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness
An important dimension of being a Muslim is trustworthiness. Every Prophet is introduced in the Qur'an with the attribute of trustworthiness.6 First and foremost, the Prophet Muhammad, the most trustworthy of the heavens and earth, and all the prophets preceding him, made efforts to promote trustworthiness in their societies.

In a place where trust does not exist, love, respect and solidarity are also absent. The lack of trust destroys family, as well as social, cultural, and economic life. For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) states that trustworthiness and treachery cannot exist together7 and asserts, "One, who betrays, harms, or deceives a Muslim, is not of us."8 He describes the ideal Muslim as thus: "A Muslim is one from whose hand and tongue people are safe. A believer is one from whom people know that their wealth and lives are safe."9

In one Hadith, the Messenger of Allah describes those who are good and those who are bad: "The good amongst you is the one from whom good things are expected and by whom people are sure that they will not be harmed. The bad amongst you is the one from whom good things are not expected and from whose evil people do not feel safe."10 From this, it can be understood that a believer is one who is trustworthy, and therefore, no one would fear any danger from him or her under any circumstances.

In Islam, good morals, love and respect for Allah and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) are expected from believers. Appropriate love, mercy and compassion are to be shown, not only to people but also to every creature in nature since, according to Islam's core understanding, every creation is a blessing from Allah and the protection of a blessing is the most fitting behavior for a human being.