Keeping Your Word: The Importance of Creeds and Fulfilling Our Obligations

“O believers! Fulfill the obligations of your covenants!” Surah Al-Ma’idah (5), verse 1. An ‘ahd’ or ‘akid’ is a verbal or written commitment and agreement tied to a document. The terms ‘ahd’ and ‘akid’ are almost synonymous, but ‘akid’ implies a greater degree of firmness, like a mīsan. An ‘akid’ refers to agreements made by a person that ultimately binds themself or others. Therefore, every promise given, signature affixed, belief affirmed, vow made, and every commitment entered into towards Allah or people is an ‘akid’ and must be fulfilled. The word ‘ukūḍ’ encompasses Allah’s offers to His servants, religious commands, rulings, the boundaries He has set, vows that slaves make to Allah, oaths, and ultimately, agreements, trusts, transactions, and all kinds of ‘akids’ that people rightfully enter into with each other. International agreements are naturally included in this as well. The verse urges Muslims to fulfill their ‘akids’ within this framework, not to be like other communities who break promises, act unfaithfully, renege on their words, and betray their commitments, but rather to be people of their word.