The status of truthfulness in Islam (2)

Scopes of truthfulness:

(1) Truthfulness with Allah: "then if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them." [Surat Muhammad: 21]. "Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allâh [i.e. they have gone out for Jihâd (holy fighting), and showed not their backs to the disbelievers]; of them some have fulfilled their obligations (i.e. have been martyred); and some of them are still waiting, but they have never changed [i.e. they never proved treacherous to their covenant which they concluded with Allâh] in the least. * That Allâh may reward the men of truth for their truth (i.e. for their patience at the accomplishment of that which they covenanted with Allâh), and punish the hypocrites, if He wills, or accept their repentance by turning to them (in Mercy). Verily, Allâh is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Surat Al Ahzab: 23 - 24].

"And those who believe in (the Oneness of) Allah and His Messengers, they are the Siddiqun (i.e. those followers of the Prophets who were first and foremost to believe in them)."

Truthfulness with Allah entails that a person endeavors to please his Lord (Glory be to Him) through actions, sayings, and conditions. Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "So, whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord." Allah (Glorified and Exalted be to Him) says: "Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him): Verily, my Salât (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allâh, the Lord of the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists). * He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims." [Surat Al An`am: 162 - 163].

Truthfulness in all conditions and in intentions:

This entails that the motives of all actions and sayings must be all dedicated to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), and the appearance of a person should be expressive to his inner self. Truthfulness in all conditions entails good compliance and submission, submissiveness and sincerity, fear and hope, satisfaction, reliance on Allah, intimacy, shyness, veneration, and glorification for Allah alone. "And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)." [Surat Al Bayyinah: 5].

Truthfulness in sayings:

Truthfulness in saying entails that a Muslim should guard his tongue by speaking truthfully and uttering rightly. The best speech is the truthful and from which a hearer benefits. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "He who believes in Allah and the Last Day let him speak good or remain silent."

Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allâh and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth." Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And whenever you give your word (i.e. judge between men or give evidence), say the truth even if a near relative is concerned." Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those one will be questioned (by Allâh)."

Truthfulness in saying is required in testimonies, recommendations, and so on as Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) says: "O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allâh, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor, Allâh is a Better Protector to both (than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you avoid justice; and if you distort your witness or refuse to give it, verily, Allâh is Ever Well-Acquainted with what you do." [Surat An-Nisa': 135].

Truthfulness in saying is required in transferring news and in turn it requires a reporter to be sure of everything is said and avoid suppositions, illusions, should beware of speaking of everything he hears. Hafs ibn `Asim said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "It is enough for a man to prove himself a liar when he goes on narrating whatever he hears."

Truthfulness in actions which is ascertained in the following:

* Acting in accordance with the Shari`ah knowledge as Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) told about Shu`ayb (Jethro) (peace be upon him) that he said to his people: "I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you." Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) rebuked those who disagree with the Shari`ah knowledge which they receive from Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted): "Enjoin you Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and each and every act of obedience to Allâh) on the people and you forget (to practise it) yourselves, while you recite the Scripture [the Taurât (Torah)]! Have you then no sense?" Allah (Exalted be He) says: "O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? * Most hateful it is with Allâh that you say that which you do not do." [Surat As-Saf: 2 - 3].

* Inward and outward equability in terms of the truth, so the appearance of a person should reflect his innerself which requires that a person constrains himself to unify his innerself and his appearance and actions. "Those of the bedouins who lagged behind will say to you: Our possessions and our families occupied us, so ask forgiveness for us. They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts." "And that He might test the hypocrites, it was said to them: "Come, fight in the Way of Allâh or (at least) defend yourselves." They said: "Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you." They were that day, nearer to disbelief than to Faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. And Allâh has full knowledge of what they conceal." [Surat Al `Imran: 167].

* Mastering every righteous action a person does by performing actions and rights in full, so there will be no underestimation of values, no cheat, no deceit, or oppression. Thereby, a Muslim performs his actions in the best manner, behaves himself, and does goodness to others by giving them their rights. Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "He who takes up arms against us is none of us; and he who cheats us is none of us."

Truthfulness in actions is ascertained only by price and it does not become a trait except through long and hard sacrifice. It is a trait that is bearable only by sincere people who sacrifice all self-pleasures and worldly life for the sake of adopting such quality. Allah (Glory be to Him) indicated to that by His Saying: "And of mankind is he who would sell himself, seeking the Pleasure of Allâh. And Allâh is full of Kindness to (His) slaves."

Truthfulness in actions requires that a person should be obedient to his Lord, following His Commands, avoiding His Prohibitions, and holding firm with the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

You disobey God while you claim loving Him.

By my life, this awful in analogy.

If your love had been truthful,

you would have obeyed him,

for a person who loves obeys his lover.

Al Ghazaly said in (Khuluq Al Muslim): "Sincere work is the action which is not mixed by doubt but it is generated through certainty. It is not mixed by whims because it is the counterpart of sincerity, and it has no twistedness because it is generated from the truth."

Ibrahim Al Khawwas said: You only see a truthful person in a duty he performs or a righteous action he does.

So, keep to truthfulness and be among the truthful for it leads to salvation.

Truthfulness reveals the reality of man and his good inners elf as lying reveals wicked self. Truthfulness is salvation and lying is a destruction. Truthfulness is loveable and praised by sound minds and straight dispositions. Laying is dispraised by natural disposition and sound minds.

2- Truthfulness in manners:

* The need of society to truthfulness when dealing with one another:

Truthfulness is one of the social life basic needs, but rather is one of the great sources of happiness to individuals as well as to the nation.

Perhaps the most truthful scale for the development of a nation is the truthfulness of its individuals in sayings and actions. It is a serious crisis from which people suffer in their dealings when they lose confidence as a result of losing truthfulness and of spreading lying among them whether in sayings, actions, and intentions. It is not strange that all legislations stand firm to stress the importance of truthfulness and disapproving lying.

Indeed, social relationships and human dealings depend on the honor and truthfulness of words, and had it been for the confidence in words, most social links would have been cut. It is enough to imagine a society that stands on lying to realize how much it is torn apart and to see the lack of cooperation between its individuals.

How can a society be coherent while its individuals do not deal in between with truthfulness?! How can this society have an asset of culture, history, or civilization in the absence of truthfulness among its individuals?

How can we trust the transfer of knowledge and sciences when truthfulness is absent in the society?

How can we trust the news and narrations if truthfulness is not one of the cultural bases upon which the establishment of society stand?

How can we trust promises and covenants while truthfulness is not the basis of dealing among people?

How can we trust claims, testimonies, and proofs when truthfulness is absent and lying and slander replace it?

How can a society live prosperous when the years of deception come where balance is upside down and malice, deception, lying, and tricks spread. The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against these years in the Hadith that was reported by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and Al Hakim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "There will come to the people years of treachery, when the liar will be regarded as honest, and the honest man will be regarded as a liar; the traitor will be regarded as faithful, and the faithful man will be regarded as a traitor; and the Ruwaybidah will decide matters. It was said: Who are the Ruwaybidah? He said: Vile and base men who control the affairs of the people."

How beautiful truthfulness is when it spreads among people, families, neighbors, in homes, schools, foundations, in streets, stores, markets, anywhere, and with every person.

It is the duty of parents and all educators to inculcate the virtue of truthfulness in the souls of children so as to raise up while having such a virtue and accustomed to it in all their sayings and conditions.

Ahmad, Abu Dawud, and Al Bayhaqy reported on the authority of `Abdullah ibn `Amir who said that one day my mother called me when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was sitting in our house. She said: Come here and I shall give you something. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked her: What did you intend to give him? She replied: I intended to give him some dates. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: If you were not to give him anything, a lie would be recorded against you. How many mothers lie to their children and how many parents lie to their children! They do not know that they inculcate lying in the souls of their children. Where are parents from accustoming their children to truthfulness and taking them to the way of the truthful?!