Chapter 4: Truthfulness

Truthfulness

Allah, the Exalted, says:

"O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds)". (9:119)

"...the men and women who are truthful (in their speech and deeds)..". (33:35)

"...then if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them". (47:21)

54. Abdullah bin Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (PBUH) said, "Truth leads to piety and piety leads to Jannah. A man persists in speaking the truth till he is enrolled with Allah as a truthful. Falsehood leads to vice and vice leads to the Fire (Hell), and a person persists on telling lies until he is enrolled as a liar".'
[Agreed upon].

Commentary: Siddiq (veracious) and Kadhdhab (liar) both are adjectives of intensive degree. That is to say, the words stand respectively for someone whose truth has become his second nature; and in the opposite case, one is a liar who is in the habit of telling lies. As one acquires a reputation in this world for his good or bad deeds similar is his position before Allah. One who is ranked among the truthful with Him is entitled to reward, and if one is a liar, he has to suffer retribution for it. This Hadith provides incentive for truthfulness because it is a source of every good deed and contains a warning against lying as it gives rise to all kinds of mischief.

55. Hasan bin `Ali (May Allah be pleased with them) said: I remember (these words) from Messenger of Allah (PBUH): "Give up what is doubtful to you for that which is not doubtful; for truth is peace of mind and falsehood is doubt".
[At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: This Hadith leads us to the conclusion that one must always avoid doubtful things so that he does not do anything unlawful. This message is repeated in another Hadith which says that he who has saved himself from doubts has in fact saved his Faith and honour.

56. Abu Sufyan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported, in course of his detailed narration about Heraclius when the latter questioned him about the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) He said that: He (PBUH) told (us): "Worship Allah Alone and do not associate a thing with Him; and give up all that your ancestors said. "He also commands us to perform Salat (prayers), to speak the truth, to observe modesty and to strengthen the ties of kinship.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: In this Hadith an enemy of the Prophet (PBUH) acknowledges the veracity of the Prophet's teaching, because Abu Sufyan (May Allah be pleased with him) made this admission when he was a pagan. This Hadith is mentioned in detail in Sahih Al-Bukhari.

57. Abu Thabit from Sahl bin Hunaif (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (PBUH) said: "He who asks Allah for martyrdom, Allah will raise him to the high status of the martyrs, even if he dies on his bed".
[Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith highlights the merit and importance of sincere intention which in fact is so great that by virtue of it Allah raises a person's status to that of a martyr. On the contrary, persons of foul intention will be consigned to Hell by Allah even if they die in Jihad.

58. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "One of the earlier Prophets who was out on an expedition proclaimed among his people that no man should follow him who had married a woman with whom he wished to cohabit but had not yet done so, or who had built houses on which he had not yet put the roofs, or who had bought sheep or pregnant she-camels and was expecting them to produce young. He, then, went on the expedition and appr