Truthfulness
by Dr Hossam Roushdi
Royal Holloway College/Univ. of London /UK
[Arabic
Introduction]
The
holy Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) has explained the foremost purpose of his being
sent to the world.
“I
have been sent only for the purpose of perfecting good morals.”
The
good memory of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was nothing else but to strengthen the
moral character of people, so that the world of beauty and perfection may be
illuminated before their ages and they may try to achieve it consciously and
with knowledge.
The
khutbah will concentrate on one of the most important morals in Islam – Truth.
The
strong and firm pillar of a Muslim's character is straight dealing.
It is his duty to be attached to truth in every matter and to see every
problem and affair through the glasses of truth, to keep it before him in every
decision in dealing and treatment.
(Ibn
Habban) Aisha narrates:
“For the messenger of Allah falsehood was the worse 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.”
Falsehood
is such an evil that it discloses the internal corruption and wickedness of the
liar, It is a name of wrong dealing which only acts in spreading evil, so much
so that even without the needs that are troublesome or the forcing inclination
it leads persons to committing sins.
Allah’s
messenger said:
“All evils can be found in a Mu’min [a Believer], except dishonesty and falsehood.”
Malik:
The messenger of Allah was asked whether a Muslim could be a coward. He answered “yes”. Can a Mu’min [a Believer] be a miser? He said “yes”, Can a Mu’min [a Believer] be a liar? He replied “no”.
The
replies of the prophet show that these factors of deficiency and weakness enter
some person/s nature and can influence them, but this does not mean that
miserliness is tolerated and cowardice is lesser of an evil.
Practical
aspects to acquire truthfulness
1.
Teaching
children to be truthful: Abudllah
Ibn A’Amir said: my mother called
me when the prophet was present in my house, she asked me to come enticing me by
giving me a thing. The prophet
asked “What will you give him?” She
said “a date”. The prophet said
“If you had not given him this date, you would have committed a falsehood
which would have been entered in your record of deeds.”
“Anybody who called a child saying that he would give him a certain
thing and did not is a liar (Ahmad).
2.
Adoption of
straight dealing and telling the truth has been very strictly insisted upon, so
much so that it has been enjoined upon to take care about this even in minor
household matters.
3.
Adhering to the
truth even in jokes: (Balhaqui)
hadith: “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”. (Ahmad):
a Mu’min [a Believer] cannot have complete faith unless he gives up
falsehood in his jokes and debates though in all other matters he speaks the
truth”.
4.
Avoid
exaggeration in praise: Some people
go to the extent of exaggerating and making false statements when they praise
somebody. For a Muslim, it is
important that when praising somebody he should do it to the extent he knows
about that man. 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 Mariam.
I am but a slave so only say that he is a slave of Allah and his
messenger.” Such people are
always found licking the boots of leaders and rulers and praising them to the
Heavens. Those who make
exaggeration their habit and through this try to earn rewards from the praised,
deserve to have “dust thrown in their faces” as narrated by Abu
Huraira quoting the prophet. The
limit where a Muslim stops and which keeps him distinct from the bootlicking and
exaggeration are that he praises his benefactor or a good person but does not
let him indulge in vanity and pride. These
limits have been clarified by the prophet (pbuh):
“If someone wants to praise his brother, then if he is aware of the
facts he should say 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).
5.
Avoidance of
Falsehood and deception in trade: A
false statement by the trader, in an attempt to get a good deal, is forbidden by
Islam. The prophet said:
“The buyer and seller are free to trade, provided they acted with
honesty and explained any defects of commodities and God will bless them with
prosperity. If both tried to deal
dishonestly and hide the defects, it is likely that they may get some profit but
prosperity will vanish from their trade.”
(Bukhari) “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.”
6.
Disregard of
truth is giving evidence is the worse type of falsehood.
When a Muslim gives evidence he should state the truth unhesitantly
regardless as to whether it is against a close friend or relation.
In Súra Al-Nisaa 135: “O
you who believe! Stand out firmly
for justice as witness to Allah, even so against yourselves or your parents or
your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor; for Allah can best protect
both, follow not the lusts (of your heart) lest you swerve, and if you distort
(justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all
that you do.” (Bukhari) Abu
Bakr narrates: “May I not tell
you the major sins? 1- to associate
someone else with Allah, 2- to disobey the parents, 3- to kill someone unjustly
(he was leaning, so he sat up and said) 4-and to tell lies and give false
evidence (and kept repeating it several times).
7.
Not to break a
promise: It is a very sad state of
affairs, that the tendency to break
promises has become common practice.
Redeeming ones pledge is a commendable quality, Allah considers
fulfilling of a promise as one of the attributes of prophethood:
(Súra Mariam 54-55) “Also
mention in the book (the story of) Ismail, he was true to what he promised and
he was a Messenger, a Prophet. He
used to enjoin on his people prayer and charity and was most acceptance in sight
of the Lord”
[end
of first part]
[Second
Khutbah]
If
a person is truthful and straight in his speech and dealings, inevitably there
will be truthfulness and sincerity in his actions and goodness and reform in his
conditions. By adopting truthful
and straight ways in dealing with others, this light of truth also illuminates
one’s heart and mind and then darkness vanishes.
Al-Ahzaab
70-71: “O you who believe!
Fear Allah and (always) say a word directed to the right; that he may
make your conduct whole and sound and forgive your sins; He that obeys Allah and
his Messenger has already attained the highest achievement.”
The
success of communities and nations in conveying their message, depends on the
bearers of the message performing the correct action.
If they have an abundant record of right and truthful action they can
reach the zenith of success and glory, otherwise, they swerve from their
destination for more idleness, senseless activities, slogan shouting and self
praise.
The
prophet said: “Adopt truth,
for truth shows the path to 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 keeps away from falsehood for
falsehood leads to wickedness and wickedness throws in hell.
A person tells lies regularly and attaches himself to falsehood till he
is on record as a liar before Allah”.
“It
is no virtue that you turn your face to the East and the West but virtue is that
one should believe in Allah, and the Last Day and the angels and the prophet and
spend part of love for him his wealth on relations and orphans and the needy and
the wayfarer and those who ask for ransom of the slaves and establish salat and
pay zakat. And those who fulfill
the pledges they make and remain steadfast in adversity and affliction and in
times of struggle, such are the people who are truthful and God fearing. “
[Closing dua in Arabic]
Aqeemus Salaah!
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