Truthfulness is very closely related to trustworthiness and can perhaps be regarded as its twin quality. Like trustworthiness, it was also the second distinguishing feature of our Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) as he was called As-Saadiq (the truthful) for his immaculate truthfulness.
Similar to trustworthiness, it is intertwined with Islamic faith (Eemaan ). To emphasise the significance of the quality of truthfulness to a believer, Allaah stresses the gravity of telling lies by mentioning it along with the greatest sin idol worship. "So shun the abomination (worshipping) of idol, and shun lying speech (false statements)." (Q22(Hajj]:30-31)
Truthfulness Is A Means To Entering Paradise
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (i.e. wickedness, evil-doing), and AI-Fajur (wickedness) leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allaah, a liar."(Bukhari) Truthfulness Brings Peace of Mind When a Muslim is imbued with eeman, his heart will not be comfortable with falsehood. Only the truth reassures a believer: The Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Give up what is doubtful to you for that which is not doubtful; for truth is peace of mind and falsehood is doubt." (Tirmidhi)
Truthfulness Brings Blessing
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "The buyer and the seller have the option to cancel or to confirm the deal, as long as they have not parted or till they part, and if they spoke the truth and told each other the defects of the things, then blessings would be in their deal, and if they hid something and told lies, the blessing of the deal would be lost." (Bukhari)
Lying is A Sign of Hypocrisy
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "There are four traits which whoever possesses is a pure hypocrite; and whoever has anyone of them, has a trait of hypocrisy until he gets rid of it: When entrusted, he embezzles (cheats); when he speaks, he lies; when he promises, he reneges (breaks them); and, when he quarrels, he abuses (uses foul language)." (Bukhari)
A Believer Can't be a Liar
It is inconceivable that a believer (Mumeen) will not be truthful, or that a liar can be a believer. Safwan ibn Sulaym (RA) said, "The Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was asked, Can the mumin be a coward?He said, Yes. He was asked, Can the mumeen be a miser? He said, Yes. He was asked, Can the mumeen be a liar? He said, No. (Muwatta)
The Greatest Lies
The greatest truth is to say what is correct regarding Allaah and the greatest lie is to tell lie against Allaah. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, "Allaah said: The son of Adam tells a lie against Me, though he hasnt the right to do so. He abuses me though he hasnt the right to do so. As for his telling a lie against Me, it is his saying that I will not recreate him as I created him for the first time. In fact, the first creation was not easier for Me than new creation. As for his abusing Me, it is his saying that Allaah has begotten children, while I am the One, the Self-Sufficient Master Whom all creatures need, I beget not, nor was I begotten, and there is none like unto Me. (Bukhari)
Equally grave is untruth said regarding the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). He warned us against this: "Do not tell a lie against me for whoever tells a lie against me (intentionally) then he will surely enter the Hell-fire." (Bukhari)
Lying Attracts Allaah's Anger
If lying is done to harm a Muslim or to usurp some of his rights unduly, it becomes a more serious crime. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "He who swears an oath in which he tells a lie to take the property of a Muslim by unfair means. will meet Allaah while He is angry with him." (Abu Dawud) Lying is from hypocrisy which inturn leads a man to Hell fire. Allaah says: "Curse be the liars." (Q51[Dhariyat]: 10) He also says: "Woe to every sinful liars. (Q45[Jaathiyah]: 7)
False Witness is Grave
One day the Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alayhi wa salLam) asked the companions three times, "Should I tell you what are the gravest sins? Then he said, "Ascribing partners to Allaah, disobeying me parents, bearing false witness and telling lies." The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) then sat up after he had been reclining (on a pillow) and said, "And I warn you against giving a false witness." and he kept on saying that warning till we thought he would not stop." (Bukhari)
Giving A False Impression Is Also A Form of Lie
A woman asked the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). "My husband has another wife. Will it be sinful if I dress and live well. Making it appear as if all of that is being provided by my husband? He replied, "If one gives that impression for the things he does not give, then that person is like someone who dresses up in lies." (Bukhari) Often, when offered something, people pretend as if they do not need it, while in reality they do. That also is regarded as a lie: Narrated Asmaa bint Umais (RA) When we brought one of the Prophets wives to him as a bride, he brought out a bowl of milk, drank some and then gave it to his wife. She declined saying, "I have no appetite." He responded, "Do not add lie to your hunger." (Tabarani)
Be Truthful and Appropriate
We must not only say the truth, but also it must be what is the most appropriate,fair, reasonable, beneficial and to the point. The Quran commands: "O believers! Adopt Taqwa and say only the words that are sadeed (in keeping with the faith, befitting, right to the point)." (Q33 [Ahzaab]:70). A sincere believer, in addition to being extremely careful in avoiding falsehood in serious situations or major things also watches what he says. He avoids saying anything that is not true even in minor situations, in speaking to little children or in jest. He even avoids passing on rumours, hearsay or anything for which he himself does not have personal knowledge of its accuracy.
Not Even in Jokes
The Rasul (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Lying is not acceptable, whether seriously orjokingly. Not even in case when you promise to give your child something and then do not give." (Al-Adabul Mufrad) He also said: "Woe to him who tells lies to make people laugh. Woe to him. Woe to him." (Tirmidhi)
Too Much Talk Leads to Lying
The Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "It is enough of a lie for a person to tell others all that he hears. "(Muslim)
Not Even to Kids
Abdullaah Ibn Aamir stated that one day the Messenger of Allaah was sitting in our home and my mother called me, "Come here, I will give you something", The Messenger asked, "What do you want to give him." She said that she wanted to give him a date. He responded, "If you do not give him anything, it will be recorded against you as a lie.(Aboo Dawood)
However, there are some exceptions where withholding the truth, obfuscating and, in some situations, even misrepresentation does not make the person a liar. One such situation is during war. For example, if a Muslim is caught as a prisoner of war, he must not tell the true position and facts about the Muslim army that will be beneficial to the enemy. Rather, he should say things that will misguide the enemy or discourage it in order to shorten the war, to reduce the fatalities in the war or to help Muslims win. Another such situation is when reconciling two parties. The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Lying is not appropriate except in three cases: when a man chats with his wife to please her, falsehood or lying to the enemy in war, and falsehood to put things right between people. (Ahmad)
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited