What is the ruling on fulfilling a covenant when a person is asked to do something "for the sake of Allah," and then is later asked "for the sake of Allah" not to do the same thing, and what is the Shar'i (Islamic legal) ruling on not complying with the second request?

The fundamental principle is that a person should not embarrass others by asking in this manner. Scholars have differed on the obligation to answer someone who asks by Allah, with their opinions falling into several categories. The general consensus among scholars is to qualify the hadiths that condemn those who are asked by Allah and do not respond, by referring to the agreed-upon rules of Sharia (definition). They justify this by stating:

1. It is disliked not to give to someone who asks by Allah, but it is not forbidden. 2. Answering a distressed person who asks by Allah is obligatory, while for others it is recommended. 3. The command in "then give him" is for recommendation, and the blameworthy person is one who asks people by Allah but does not give by Him when asked.

It is disliked to ask for anything worldly by the Face of Allah, based on the hadith (definition): "Nothing should be asked by the Face of Allah except Paradise," because the Face of Allah is too majestic to be asked for worldly possessions. Jurists have explicitly stated the dislike of asking a creature by the Face of Allah, and it is disliked for a person to withhold from someone who asks by Allah.