What is meant by “trust” is not merely to keep something in one’s safekeeping for a period of time. All obligations and duties are trusts. A person fails to honor his trust when he is careless in his duties.
A believer, as described in the Qur’an, is an honest, assured person who undertakes his responsibilities and does not pursue insignificant personal interests. That is why others can confidently rely on him to fulfill a responsibility or contract. In numerous verses, Allah praises this quality in Muslims:
Those who honor their trusts and their contracts. (Surat Al-Muminun; 8)
Those who honor their trusts and contracts. (Surat al-Ma‘arij; 32)
It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East or to the West. Rather, those with true devoutness are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travelers and beggars and to set servants free, and who perform prayer and give the alms; those who honor their contracts when they make them, and are steadfast in poverty and illness and in battle. Those are the people who are true. They are the people who guard against evil. (Surat al-Baqara; 177)
One should not assume a trust he is not able to fulfill. That is because failure to honor a promise or betraying a trust are responsibilities for which a believer will have to account in the Hereafter:
... Fulfill your contracts. Contracts will be asked about… (Surat al-Isra’; 34)
You who believe! Do not betray Allah and His Messenger, and do not knowingly betray your trusts. (Surat al-Anfal; 27)
On the other hand, an important aspect deserves mention here: a Muslim must not avoid responsibility using the excuse of possible failure, laziness or similar reasons, since he is also accountable for the avoidance of good works he is able to perform.
Accepting responsibility does not always depend on one’s own decisions. In situations where a commandment of Allah is involved, the Muslim has no choice. While working for the cause of Allah, duties and tasks are allocated according to the talents of each individual. Any attempt to reject such responsibilities would not be legitimate. With strict obedience, sincere intention and prayer, a Muslim can accomplish a given task to perfection.
