The unwavering commitment of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ to fulfilling his promises

When Heraclius, the Caesar of Rome, asked Abu Sufyan: 'Does he who claims prophethood (the one who claims to be a prophet) break his promises?' Abu Sufyan replied, 'No.' Abu Rafi', a Coptic slave who lived in Makkah, narrated that the Quraysh sent him as an envoy to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When he saw the Beloved Prophet ﷺ, the truth of Islam settled in his heart. He said: 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, by Allah, I will never return to them.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'I do not break promises, nor do I detain messengers. Return now, and if the truth of Islam remains in your heart there, then come back.' Abu Rafi' said that he went back and then returned to the Beloved Prophet ﷺ and embraced Islam. The Noble Prophet ﷺ considered breaking promises to be very wrong. He used to say: 'مَنْ قَتَلَ مُعَاهِدًا لَمْ يَرَحْ رَائِحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ رِيحَهَا لَتُوجَدُ مِنْ مَسِيرَةِ أَرْبَعِينَ عَامًا' (Whoever kills a Mu'ahid (a non-Muslim living under protection), will not smell the fragrance of Paradise, and its fragrance can be found from a distance of forty years). Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abi al-Hamsa' narrates: 'I bought something from the Beloved Prophet ﷺ before his prophethood, and some of the price remained outstanding. I promised him ﷺ that I would return to the same place with the remaining amount. So I went, but I forgot my promise. After three nights, I remembered, and I came back with the remaining amount. What did I see? The Noble Prophet ﷺ was still sitting in that place. He ﷺ said, "O young man! Indeed, you have put me in hardship. I have been waiting here for you for three nights."'