Truthfulness
Truthfulness is a noble character that can only be possessed by people with sound hearts. Allaah enjoins it in His Book when He says:
يَـٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ [التوبة:119]
“O you who have believed! Fear Allaah and be with those who are true.” (At-Tawbah: 119).
Truthfulness reveals a persons sound upbringing, pure mind and good nature, while lying exposes a filthy mind and evil conduct. Truth is a saviour of a person while lying is a destroyer. The truth is admired and loved both by one's nature and intellect. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam enjoined speaking the truth when he said:
((عليكم بالصدق، فإن الصدق يهدي إلى البر، وإن البر يهدي إلى الجنة، ولا يزال الرجل يصدق ويتحرى الصدق حتى يكتب عند الله صديقاً، وإياكم والكذب، فإن الكذب يهدي إلى الفجور، وإن الفجور يهدي إلى النار، ولا يزال الرجل يكذب ويتحرى الكذب حتى يكتب عند الله كذاباً)) [رواه البخاري ومسلم]
"Be truthful for truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. If a person tells the truth and nothing but the truth, he will be registered with Allaah as a truthful person. Beware of lying, for lying leads to sinfulness and sinfulness leads to Hell. If a person tells lies and nothing but lies, he will be registered with Allaah as a liar.” (Bukhaari & Muslim).
Allaah promises a great reward for truthfulness in this world and the next. In this world, Allaah provides for those who are truthful a good standing as well as the love of Allaah and His creatures; a truthful person's words will be valued, people will feel safe with him and from his evil deeds and he will be fair to himself and others. He will also be saved from the evils and calamities that afflict the liars. He will have peace of mind with no fears or worries. Hasan ibn 'Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him and his father, narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam saying:
((دع ما يريبك إلى ما لا يريبك، فإن الصدق طمأنينة والكذب ريبة)) [رواه الترمذي وقال: حديث صحيح]
“Leave that which is ambiguous to you and take that which you are sure of. Truthfulness is tranquillity while lying is ambiguity.” (At-Tirmithi).
A truthful persons end in this life is always a good one, as was indicated in the Hadeeth of Ka’b ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, when he was absent from the Battle of Tabook. He said: "I told the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam: 'O Messenger of Allaah! I swear by Allaah that if I were to be addressing any other powerful person in this world, I would have escaped his wrath by proffering any excuse for I am an expert in argumentation, but I swear by Allaah that I know that if I tell you a lie today in order to win your pleasure, Allaah might cause you to be angry with me; but if I tell you the truth and you become angry with me, my hope is that Allaah will therefore pardon me in the end (as a result of my truthfulness).’ (Bukhaari & Muslim).
As for the reward of truthfulness in the Hereafter, it is the pleasure of Allaah and a high degree in Paradise, in which there are pleasures which no eyes have seen, no ears have heard and no heart has ever contemplated. In the Qur’aan Allaah says:
هَـٰذَا يَوْمُ يَنفَعُ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلأنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَداً رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواْ عَنْهُ ذٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ [المائدة:119]
“Allaah will say: 'This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness.' For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allaah being pleased with them, and they with Him. That is the great attainment.” (Al-Maa’idah: 119).
Also:
وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مّنَ ٱلنَّبِيّينَ وَٱلصّدّيقِينَ وَٱلشُّهَدَاء وَٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَـئِكَ رَفِيقاً [النساء:69]
Brothers in faith! What is essence of this truthfulness for which Allaah promises the greatest reward and salvation from torment? Truthfulness means to be sincere in words and deeds; it also means conveying the message of Allaah and His Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam to mankind, to enjoin truthfulness, forbid falsehood and to state that which is concordant with reality. Allaah says:
وَٱلَّذِى جَاء بِٱلصّدْقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ [الزمر:33]
“And the one who has brought the truth [i.e., the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam] and [they who] believed in it – those are the righteous.” (Az-Zumar: 33).
The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said:
((المؤمن إذا قال صدق، وإذا قيل له يُصدِّق))
“The true believer is the one who when he speaks, he speaks the truth and when he is informed, he believes.”
Truthfulness in deeds is to worship Allaah with sincere intention, honesty, love and certainty; to abide by the way of Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and to deal with His creation with sincerity, compassion and honesty. Allaah says:
وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلآخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَـئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيّينَ وَءاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبّهِ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي ٱلرّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَـٰهَدُواْ وَٱلصَّابِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَاء وٱلضَّرَّاء وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ أُولَـئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَـئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ [البقرة:177]
“Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allaah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives Zakah; [those who] fulfil their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous” (Al-Baqarah: 177) and also: “Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allaah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration.” (Al-Ahzaab: 23).
Further, the origin of faith is truthfulness and belief and we can therefore correctly state that truthfulness can be in sayings and deeds. Our righteous predecessors were the foremost adherents to the truth among all people in their relationship with their Lord and fellow humans; Sa’d ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “I once said to the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam: ‘O Messenger of Allaah! Allaah saved me through truthfulness and it is part of my repentance that I will never lie again for the rest of my life.’ I swear by Allaah that I have never seen anybody whose truthfulness in speech was tested by Allaah more than mine was (after that oath). I swear by Allaah that I have never intentionally lied since that day and I hope that Allaah will protect me from lying for the rest of my life.” (Al-Bukhaari & Muslim).
Also, Allaah ascribed truthfulness to the emigrants to Madeenah when He says:
لِلْفُقَرَاء الْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ الَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُواْ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِمْ وَأَمْوٰلِهِمْ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلاً مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَرِضْوٰناً وَيَنصُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ ٱلصَّـٰدِقُونَ [الحشر:8]
“For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their properties, seeking bounty from Allaah and [His] approval and supporting Allaah and His Messenger, [there is also a share of property]. Those are the truthful.” (Al-Hashr: 8).
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