Assalamualaikum,
Islam directs us to have good manners, which is mentioned in the Quran and Hadith. I have a suggestion that I intend to carry out if its OK with forum rules and that is to post a thread for each moral value, then describe how it is mentioned in the Quran and in Hadith. If anyone has any verses from the Quran or hadiths concerning the moral value, please add them or any stories about this moral value. Or just add your opinion.
This thread is about the moral value: Truth
Islam is against rumours and mistrust
Muslim society should be based on truth and not on mistrust or conjectures or on rumours and gossip.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Keep away from ill-thinking, because ill-thinking is the greatest falsehood,” (Bukhari)
Another hadith says:
“Leave alone doubtful things, follow those matters in which there are no doubts; for truth is a means of
satisfaction and falsehood is the cause of doubts and misgivings.” (Tirmizi)
Quran has expressed condemnation of those communities who follow conjectures and superstitions that have filled their brains with absurdities and has staked their present and future, with the help of the false stories, on the gamble of corruption and disruption:
“They follow nothing but conjecture and what their own souls desire, even though there has already come to them Guidance from their Lord.”( An-Najm ..23)
“But they have no knowledge therein. They follow nothing but conjecture and conjecture avails nothing against Truth” (An-Najm.. 28)
The prophet hates falsehood
Since Islam respects truth most strongly, it turns away liars very harshly. It admonishes them very severely. Hazrat Ayesha narrates:
“Allah's Messenger did not hate anything as strongly as he hated falsehood, If he received information that a particular man has told a lie, he used to throwaway that man's respect and honour from his heart till the time he was not informed that he has repented for it,” (Ahmed)
Another narration by her states:
“For the Messenger of Allah falsehood was the worst habit in a person, If any man told a lie in his presence, that man's thought always troubled him until the time he was informed that he has repented”, (Ibn Habban)
A believer cannot be a liar
Allah's Messenger said :
“All the evils can be found in a momin, except dishonesty and falsehood.” (Aluned)
The Messenger of Allah was asked whether any Muslim could be a coward. He answered : “Yes.” He was asked:“Can a momin be a miser ?' He said that yea, he could be a miser. He was again asked: “Can a momin be a liar?” He replied: “No !” (Malik)
The replies of the Prophet show that these factors of deficiency and weakness enter some persons' nature and when they are called upon to do their duty or pay Zakat, then these factors adversely influence them. But this does not mean that miserliness is tolerated and cowardice is a lesser evil.
How is “ possible when non-payment of zakat and running away from jihad are acts which touch the borderline of infidel ” (kufr).
Don't spread lies
The extent to which a liar and a defiant person may spread falsehood and however wide this extent may be his sin before Allah will be to the same extent. Journalists, who misguide the people by false news, politicians who misrepresent important public problems, these commit terrible crimes and their punishment is very severe.
Allah's Messenger said:
“One night I saw two men. They came to me and said:' Any man whom you see talking by widening his jaws,
consider him a liar, He tells a lie which is copied through his medium, till it is talked of in the whole world. He
goes on doing this till the Doomsday.” (Fathul Bari)
To invent lies against Allah's religion is the worst evil
The Prophet has said: “The consequence of inventing falsehood against me is not as bad as it is for inventing falsehood against anybody. Let the man who purposely and wittingly makes a false statement about me make his destination Hell.” (Bukhari)
Accustom your Children to be Truthful
Abdullah Ibn A 'amir says that once my mother called me when the Prophet was present in my house. My mother asked me to come and said that she would give me a certain thing. He asked what did she want to give? She said that she wanted to give me a date (fruit). The Prophet said: “ If you had not given him this date, then the committing of a falsehood would have been entered into your record of deeds.”. (Abu Daud).
Abu Huraira says that the Prophet has said:
“Anybody who called a child saying that he would give him a certain thing, and did not give it, then it is a lie.” (Ahmed)
Don't lie even in the simplest matters
Asma Binte Yazid narrates that she once asked the Messenger of Allah:
“If some one of us women stated that she had no desire to have a certain thing even though she had that desire, then would it be considered a lie ?” He replied: “Falsehood is written as falsehood, and a small falsehood is written as a small falsehood.” (Muslim)
Prohibited to tell a Lie even in a Joke
Allah's Messenger has said:
“Death for the man who indulges in story-telling in order to make some people laugh and for that he relies on falsehood. There is death for him, there is destruction for him.” (Tirmizi)
“I give guarantee of a house in the middle of Paradise for the man who has given up falsehood, though he was required to indulge in humour.” (Baihaqui)
The Prophet has said:
“A Momin cannot have complete faith unless he gives up falsehood in his jokes and debates though in all other
matters he speaks the truth.” (Ahmed)
Avoid Exaggeration in Praise
Some people when they praise somebody, go to the extent of exaggerating and making false statements. For a Muslim it is necessary that when he praises somebody he should do it to the extent to which he knows about that person, he should avoid exaggeration and falsehood in showering praises of the praised one, although he may be deserving of the praises, for exaggeration is a kind of falsehood which has been forbidden,
To a person who was praising the Prophet, he said: “Do not indulge in exaggeration while praising me, as the
Christians did in the case of Ibn Maryam (Christ). I am only a slave. So only say that he is a slave of Allah and
His Messenger.” (Razin)
Hazrat Abu Bakr narrates that a man praised some one in the presence of Allah's Messenger and the Prophet told him:“Fie on you, you have separated the head of your companion,” He repeated these words and then said: “If some one wants to praise his brothers then if he is aware of the facts then he should say that I think he is such and such and Allah is the real Knower, and there is none purer and innocent than Allah; I consider him bearer of these qualities.” (Bukhari)
Keep away from Falsehood and Deception In Trade
The Messenger of Allah has said :
“What would be a greater dishonesty than this that when you are talking with your brother he may be thinking
that you are telling the truth whereas you are deceiving him by telling lies.” (Bukhari)
He has also said :
“It is not lawful for a Muslim to sell such a commodity that has a defect, except that the defect is shown to the buyer.” (Bukhari)
Ibn Abi Adna narrates that a man opened a shop in the market and swore that he would sell such a commodity as no one else would be selling, so that he may deceive some Muslims; so the following verses were revealed:
"Lo! those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allah's covenant and their oaths, they have no portion in the Hereafter. Allah will neither speak to them nor look upon them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He make them grow. Theirs will be a painful doom." (Al-Imran, 77)
A witness must not lie
Disregard of truth in giving evidence is the worst type of falsehood. When a Muslim should stand up for giving evidence, he should state the truth unhesitatingly; regardless of the fact whether it is against his close friend or a favourite person. No relationship or prejudice should deviate him from the right path, nor any greed or bribe should be able to make him waver in his stand.
"O ye who believe! Be ye staunch in justice, witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or (your) parents or (your) kindred, whether (the case be of) a rich man or a poor man, for Allah is nearer unto both (them ye are). So follow not passion lest ye lapse (from truth) and if ye lapse or fall away, then lo! Allah is ever Informed of what ye do." (An-Nisa, 135)
Abi Bakrah narrates Allah's Messenger has stated:
“May I not tell you the major sins ?” Three times he repeated the same thing. We requested: “Why not O
Messenger of Allah ?” He replied: “To associate some one else with Allah, to disobey your parents and to murder some one unjustly.” He was leaning. Then he got up and said: “And to tell lies and to give false evidence.” He went on repeating it till we said to ourselves it would be better if he were silent then.” (Bukhari)
Trickery and deception is a falsehood which has layers and layers of darkness. It does not only involve the concealment of truth but it also tries to prove that the falsehood is truth. In some special matters it harms only a few individuals but in public matters it becomes a severe and deadly danger against the whole nation. For this reason the Prophet has very bluntly and emphatically counselled to keep away from it and has warned against it.
Don't break your promises (Don't make false promises)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) kept his promises and trusted others to keep their's.
Abdullah bin Abi Hama says that he entered into a contract for the sale of a commodity with the Prophet before he was blessed with prophet-hood, and some commodities had remained to be sold. He promised to the prophet that he would hand over a certain thing to him at a certain place. Then he forgot all about this. After three days he remembered his promise and went to the appointed place. He saw that the Prophet was present at the spot. He only said this:“O young man! You worried me. I am waiting here for you for the last three days.” (Abu Daud)
True promises are one of the characteristics of prophets:
"And make mention in the Scripture of Ishmael. Lo! he was a keeper of his promise, and he was a messenger (of Allah), a prophet. He enjoined upon his people worship and almsgiving, and was acceptable in the sight of his Lord." (Maryam, 54-55)
In these verses the order of the good qualities show what position the quality of fulfilling of promises enjoys; and Ismail showed that he was true to his word when his father told him that he saw a dream in which he was slaughtering his son, Ismail, and asked him what he thought about it. The son, who was true to his word, replied: “God willing, you will find me patient and steadfast.”
Say the truth even if it was against you
“ Adopt truth, even if you see your destruction in it, for the (final) salvation is in it.” (Ibn Abi-duniya)
In another hadith it is mentioned:
“When a person tells a lie, the bad odour that emanates from it keeps the angels one mile away.” (Tirmizi)
Truth of Speech leads to Truth of Action
"O ye who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point; He will adjust your works for you and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeyeth Allah and His messenger, he verily hath gained a signal victory." (Al-Ahzab, 70-71)
What truth leads to and what falsehood leads to
Allah's Messenger has said:
“Adopt truth, for truth shows the path of righteousness, and righteousness shows the path to Paradise. A man speaks the truth regularly and adopts truthful ways till he is recorded as a truthful person before Allah; and keep away from falsehood, for falsehood leads to wickedness, and wickedness throws in the Hell, A person tells lies regularly and attaches himself to falsehood till he is recorded as a liar before Allah,” (Fathul Bari)
Evil and wickedness towards which the habit of telling lies leads is the last stage of the destruction of self and the lowness of faith.
Imam Malik has reported about the hadith narrated by Ibn Masood: "A person regularly tells lies and adopts falsehood (as his policy), till a black point is imprinted in his heart, and slowly and slowly the whole heart becomes black. At that time his name is entered in the list of liars before Allah.”
And this person is described in the Quran as:
"Only they invent falsehood who believe not Allah's revelations, and (only) they are the liars." (An-Nahl, 105)
Righteousness whose path is shown by truth is the highest peak of goodness to which only men of high determination can reach. In this connection the following verses of the holy Quran would suffice:
"It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the God-fearing." (Al-Baqara, 177)
Source: notes were taken from the book: Muslim Character by Sheikh / Mohamed Al-Ghazzali