TRUTHFULNESS

INTRODUCTION
 Allah Almighty has created this whole universe on the basis of
love, and has demanded of people that they should build up
their lives on the foundation of truth, to make the truth and
straight dealing a practice of their life, and should give place
to the truth only in their talks and dealings.

 The distinctive characteristic of the Muslim society in its first

period was truth, discipline, tolerance and cautious manner of
speaking. Falsehood, breaking of promises, false accusations,
and baseless things are the signs of disruption or of breaking
away ones relation from the religion.
 CONT…
 Today all the world suffers from the destruction which comes
from telling lies. Islam suggests the solution for these
dangerous problems in a clear and easy manner, and teaches
us to adopt truth all the time.

 ALLAH, the Magnificent, says :

“O you who believe ! fear ALLAH and be with those who are
true (in word and deed).” (9 : 119) 
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 Islam has forbidden the false witnesses, it has shut the doors
to all possible issues which may come up to falsehood.

ALLAH, the Magnificent, says : 

“And shun the word that is false.” (22 :30) 

 ISLAM RESPECTS TRUTH
STRONGLY
 Islam respects the truth very strongly and it turns away liars
very harshly. It admonishes them very severely. Hazrat Ayesha
(RA) narrates :
“Allah's Messenger did not hate anything as strongly as he
hated falsehood, If he received in formation that a particular
man has told a lie, he used to throw away that man's respect
and honour from his heart till the time he was not informed
that he has repented for it,” (Ahmad)
 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”

(Ibne Habban)
FALSEHOOD IS A GREAT CURSE
 Falsehood is such an evil that discloses the internal corruption and
wickedness of the liar; and this is a name of the wrong dealing which
only acts in spreading evil. So much so that even without the needs
that are troublesome or the forcing inclinations, it leads persons to
commit sins.
 Allah's Messenger said : “All the evils can be found in a Mo’min,
except dishonesty and falsehood.”

(Ahmad)
 The Messenger of Allah was asked whether any Mo’min could be a
coward. He answered : “Yes.” He was asked: “Can he be a miser ?'
He said that yes, he could be a miser. He was again asked: “Can he be
a liar?” He replied: “No !”
(Maalik)
 CONT…
 Making false promises to their subjects by the rulers also
comes in this category, because the falsehood spoken from the
pulpit spreads to the four corners of the world.

 In the list of false charges and accusations are included all

those inventions and absurdities which the uneducated have
fabricated against Allah's religion, which have no place in the
faith. The general public has taken them to be the religion
though they have nothing to do with it. In fact they are nothing
but mere pastime and plaything.
 CONT…
 Allah's Messenger has warned his followers against the sources of
these invented absurdities, has admonished them to be wary of
adopting other ways than those directed by the Quran and Sunnah.

 The Prophet (PBUH) has said:

“In the last period of my Ummah there will come people who will
be deceitful, liars. They will tell you things which you would
never have heard, nor have your forefathers heard them. Be wary
of them; let them not misguide you and let them not involve you
in corruptions.”
(Muslim)
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 Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) says that the Prophet 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.”
(Ahmad)
 It is worth noting that in what a wise way the Prophet has
instructed his followers to train their children in such a manner
that they should consider truth and straight dealing respectable
things and should avoid telling lies. Had the Prophet ignored
these things and had not emphatically reminded about them, then
there was a danger that the children on growing up would not
have considered telling lies as sin.
 PROHIBITED TO TELL A LIE EVEN IN A JOKE

 The Holy Prophet ( PBUH) has warned of all the occasions

where falsehood can be used and the adverse consequences of
the same may occur. It is not possible for even an ordinary
enforcer to misguide the people about the reality or to lessen
its importance.
 A man tends to make false statements in cutting jokes,
thinking that on the occasions of entertaining people there is
nothing wrong if baseless information is given or false and
imaginary events are related.
 But Islam, which considers providing relief to hearts as
permissible, has allowed only those methods which are
within the limits of truth, because the truth is always
independent of falsehood.
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 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)
 In another hadith it is stated:
“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)
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 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.”
(Ahmad)
 This is our daily observation that people give full rein to their
tongues in the matter of humorous talks to make others laugh,
and do not hesitate to spread the tales and stories invented by
friends or foes only for the purpose of getting some pleasure
or for pulling some one's leg. Whereas this is a fact that such
kind of entertainment, amusement and false acts create
enmities and rivalries.
 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 man, He should avoid
exaggeration and falsehood in showering praises of the praised
one, although he may be deserving of the praise. 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 Ibne Maryam (The Christ). I am only a
slave. So only say that he is a slave of Allah and His
Messenger.”
(Razeen)
KEEP AWAY FROM FALSEHOOD
AND DECEPTION IN TRADE
 Traders make false statements while showing their wares and
stating their prices. The basis of trade in our midst is unlimited
greed. The shopkeeper desires that there should be dearness, while
the buyer wants to get the commodities free of charges. It is
wealth which controls activities of buying and selling in the
markets and in different fields.
 Islam hates this kind of deceptive affair and the senseless debate
and disputation latent in it. The Holy Prophet has said:
“The prosperity of the dealing of both the persons is terminated.
The untrue and false oath will help get the commodity sold, but it
reduces the earning .”
(Ahmad)
 CONT…
 The buyers who go to the shopkeepers are mostly ignorant of
the real situation, and whatever the shopkeeper says they
believe it, The honest thing is not to take undue advantage of
simplicity of customers for the purpose of obtaining double
price or for concealing the defects.
 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.”
 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.”
 TRUTH OF SPEECH LEADS TO TRUTH OF ACTION

 If a man is truthful and straight in his speech and dealings, then

inevitably there will be truthfulness and sincerity in his actions
and goodness and reform in his conditions. By adopting
truthful and straight methods in dealing with others, this light
of truth also illuminates man's heart and mind and their
darkness gets vanished:
“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 you your sins ;. He that obeys Allah and
His Messenger has already attained the highest achievement.”

(Al-Ahzaab. 70-71)
 CONT…

 The success of the communities and nations in the matter of

conveying their message depends on the fact that the bearers
of the message must be performers of right action, If they
have an abundant record of right and truthful action, then they
can reach the zenith of success and glory, otherwise they
swerve from their destination in the way, for mere idleness,
senseless activities, slogan shouting and self-praise would not
be of any use.
 TRUTHFULNESS AS A PERSONAL VALUE

 Allah Almighty says regarding truthfulness:

“ Allaah will reward the people of Truth for their Truth, and will
punish the Hypocrites if that be His Will, or turn to them in Mercy;
for Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(Al-Ahzaab: 24)
 “The believers are those people who believed in Allaah and His
Messenger without ever feeling doubt thereafter, and strove with
their souls and possessions in the way of Allaah; those are the ones
who are the truthful.”

(Al-Hujuraat: 15)
 CONT…
 Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says:
"Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads
to Paradise. A man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes
a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fujoor ( wickedness,
evil-doing), and Al-Fujoor leads to the Fire (Hell), and a man
may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar."
 Hazrat Ali (RA) says:
“Whoever does three things with
regards to people, they will necessitate three things from him:
whenever he speaks to them he is truthful; whenever they
entrust him with something, he does not betray them;
whenever he promises them something, he fulfils it. If he does
this, their hearts will love him; their tongues will praise him;
they will come to his aid.”
 CONT…
 Truthfulness is a great personal value. It means to help the
human beings to enrich life in all its exuberance and fullness.
Truthfulness brings long lasting peace, happiness and
prosperity not only in the life of an individual but in the the
society as a whole.

 To be untruthful one can get short term benefits, but in the

long run only truthfulness wins.

 Truthfulness not only causes respect to a man in the society,

but this great quality also enables a nation to achieve dignity
and respect in the whole world.
 CONT…

 We want everyone to be truthful towards us so we should also

follow this virtuous personal value of truthfulness toward
others while conducting our day to day affairs.

 Once a person attains the repute of a truthful man, it means

that no hurdle will deprive him from success in his life by
virtue of truthfulness. The challenges of life can only be
combated with truthfulness.
 CHILDREN BE TRAINED TO BE
TRUTHFUL
 Islam commands that in the hearts of the children the seeds of
the greatness and importance of truth be sown, so that they
may grow up and develop on truth and may become young in
its lap; and they may give it its due place in their talks.

 Abdullah Ibn e A 'amir (RA) says that once my mother called

me when the Prophet (PBUH)was present in my house. My
mother asked me to come and said that she would give me a
certain thing. He asked her that what did she want to give to
me? She said: “date”(fruit). The Prophet said: “ If you had not
given him this, then the committing of a falsehood would have
been entered into your record of deeds.”. (Abu Daud)
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 Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) says that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has
commanded us that we should throw dust in the face of those who
indulge in exaggeration in their praises.

(Tirmizi)
 The persons mentioned here are those who make exaggeration as
their habit and through this, try to earn gifts and presents from the
praised ones but those who praise the performers of good acts with a
view to encouraging them and to inciting others to follow their
example ,are not meant here.
 The limit where a Muslim stops and which keeps him distinct from
the bootlickers and the exaggerators is that he praises his benefactor
or a good person, but he does not let him indulge in vanity and
pride.
 CONCLUSION

 Truthfulness is a divinely quality. It helps man to bring order

in the chaos of his impulses and social conflicts, harmony in
the relations of people, thus laying the foundation for the
universal peace and order. The Holy Qur’an says:
"Who is more true in statement than Allah? (Al-Nisaa’: )

 Truthfulness empowers inner self of a person. It is a virtue by

which the soul and heart are pleased.On the contrary falsehood
is a sin and sin is what kindles doubt in oneself and indecision
in one's chest.
 CONT…

 It is an undeniable reality that whenever the human beings

deviated from this divinely quality, they plunged themselves
in great trouble and calamities.
 Most of the wars in the world are the outcome of falsehood. A
recent example is Iraq war which was started on the pretext
that Iraq has deadly chemical weapons, however, later no such
so-called weapons were discovered.
 In deed, their ulterior motive was to grab the wealth of Arabs
and harm the Muslim Ummah.