PERFIDY (HIYÂNAT) (I)

The twenty-second malady of the heart is “hiyânat”. Committing “hiyânat” causes anger (ghadab). “Hiyânat” also is forbidden (harâm) and it is a sign of hypocrisy. The opposite of “hiyânat” is being trustworthy (amânat). The meaning of “hiyânat” is as follows: A person who portrays himself to others as trustworthy and then does something which belies this impression. A Believer (Mu’min) is a person to whom anybody would entrust their life or property. Amânat (trustworthiness) and hiyânat (perfidy) apply not only to property but also to spoken (or written) words. Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sal-lam’ states in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “A person who is consulted is trustworthy.” As a matter of fact, others trust this person that he will tell them the truth and will not tell anyone else about the question he has been asked. It is necessary (wâjib) for him to tell the truth. A person may place his property with another whom he trusts. Similarly, one may consult with another whom he is sure will tell him the truth. The 159th âyat in Sûra “âl-i ’Imrân” of the Qur’ân al-kerîm purports: “Consult with others beforehand the things you are planning to do.” Consulting with others is like a fortress which protects one from regret. The person whom one wants to consult should know the states of human beings of his time as well as the states and conditions of the country and the time. This is called knowledge of politics and administration (’ilm al-siyâsat).