Truthfulness

Amr Khaled

The manner we will discuss today is that of truthfulness. Truthfulness is one of the manners that always accompany Prophets. Whenever Allah (SWT) mentions a Prophet in the holy Qur’an, he is described as being truthful. This is an important trait of the Prophet, so that people would believe the message brought by the Prophet. If there is one trait that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was known for before Islam, it was that he was always truthful and honest. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was known in his community before Islam as the “honest and trustworthy.”

When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was ordered to openly declare the message of Islam after three years of first receiving the message, he rose on a hill in Makkah and started to talk about Islam. He said things which are hard to believe, in order to test how much people would believe him. On the mountain of Safa, he rose and called about all the tribes to gather so he could talk to them.

He said, “What if I told you that behind this mountain there is a huge army coming to attack you, would you believe me?” They replied to him, “We have never known you to be untruthful before.” So he said, “So believe me when I tell you that I am a messenger coming to warn you about severe torture.” Even Abu-Lahab could not accuse him of being a liar, and he simply said, “Woe unto you, you gathered us for this?” He could not accuse him of lying because the Prophet never lied before.

After Islam, the Prophet (PBUH) became known as the “honest and trusted.” Ibn-Mas’oud reports, “The messenger of Allah talked to us, and he is the truthful and honest one.” Ibn-Mas’oud continued to describe what the Prophet (PBUH) told the companions about how babies are formed in the womb. All of this is now easy for us to believe because modern science has proven it. But at the time, it must have been incredible information, but the companions all believed the Prophet (PBUH) because he was never known to lie.

So truthfulness is one of the original and necessary traits of Prophets. Imagine if a Prophet was known to have lied once, would anyone have believed him? Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “Allah, there is no God except Him. He will gather you on the day of reckoning about which there is no doubt. And whose speech is more truthful than Allah’s?” (TMQ, 4:87) (1) Allah (SWT) also says what can be translated as, “And those who believe and do good deeds, We will allow them to enter into the paradises which have rivers flowing under them, where they will stay forever. This is the promise of Allah, and who is more truthful than Allah in his speech?” (TMQ, 4:122). Do you honestly believe in the Day of Judgment, and in Heaven and Hell? If you do, then what have you prepared for them?

There are many Islamic terms derived from the Arabic equivalent for truthfulness. For example, the equivalent for “friend” is derived from that for ”truthfulness”, because a true friend is the one who will always be truthful with you. Also, the equivalent for charity is derived from that for ”truthfulness”. This is because when you give charity, it proves that you are truthful in your belief in Allah (SWT).

The Virtues of Truthfulness

Narrated Abdullah: The Prophet 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-Fujr (i.e. wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fujr (wickedness) leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar."(2)

The Prophet (PBUH) said, “If you guarantee me six things, I will guarantee paradise for you. Be truthful if you talk. Fulfill your pledges and agreements. Return the goods people give to you for safe keeping. Guard your private parts. Lower your gaze. Don’t harm people with your hands.”(3)

Narrated Sahl Ibn-Sa'd: Allah's apostle said, "Whoever can guarantee (the chastity of) what is between his two jaw-bones and what is between his two legs (i.e. his tongue and his private parts), I guarantee Paradise for him."(4)

The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Truthfulness is calmness and serenity, and lying is doubt and fear.”(5)

The Prophet (PBUH) said, “It is a major betrayal that you should say something to your brother while he believes you and you are lying to him.”

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's apostle said, "The signs of a hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie; and whenever he promises, he breaks his promise; and whenever he is entrusted, he betrays (proves to be untruthful)".(6)

The companions used to say about Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that the most hated manner to him is not being truthful. When a man lies in the presence of the Prophet (PBUH), the Prophet’s reaction to him changes and he despises this person because of this lie. This continues until the Prophet knows that this person has repented. So know that whenever you lie, the Prophet (PBUH) is angry with you and despises you, until you repent.

Allah (SWT) built the universe upon truth and justice. When lying and injustice spread among the people on earth, this will be a sign that the world must come to an end. So as long as people recognize the truth and reject lies, there is still a chance. But when people believe liars and disbelieve truthful people, then know that the Day of Judgment is very close.

The scholars have said that a person who continues and insists upon lying has committed a major sin. This is because lying starts with a lie on the tongue. Then after a while, these lies become the truth to you, to the extent that you may even fight with people if they don’t believe you. After that, the lies will become part of your actions, and everything you do will be based on lies. When you reach this state, you will start to do anything you want because lying has become so easy for you. You can lie and cheat and steal. Thus being untruthful is the door to many evils; hence it is a major sin. If you want to stop committing all sins, then stop lying. All sins are associated with lying, as you cover them up in front of your family and friends. So if you do not lie, you will stop committing many other sins. However, if lying is easy for you, then committing major sins and lying to hide them will become a normal part of your life.

The scholars have even said that lying and being untruthful always leads to hypocrisy. Allah (SWT) says, in the holy Qur’an, what can be translated as, “That Allah may reward the men of Truth for their Truth, and punish the Hypocrites if that be His Will, or turn to them in Mercy: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (TMQ, 33:24). Therefore, it is not possible to be a believer if you insist upon and continue to be untruthful. One of the two will win.

The Results of Lying on the Day of Judgment

Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “On the Day of Judgment wilt thou see those who told lies against Allah; their faces will be turned black; is there not in Hell an abode for the Haughty?” (TMQ, 39:60).

Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “Allah will say, “This is a day on which the truthful will profit from their truth: theirs are Gardens, with rivers flowing beneath, their eternal home: Allah well-pleased with them, and they with Allah: that is the great salvation, (The fulfillment of all desires).” (TMQ, 5:119).

Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “And remember We took from the Prophets their Covenant: as (We did) from thee: from Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, and 'Isa the son of Maryam: We took from them a solemn Covenant: That (Allah) may question the (Custodians) of Truth concerning the Truth they (were charged with): and He has prepared for the Unbelievers a grievous Penalty.” (TMQ, 33:7-8).

So if the Prophets will be asked about their honesty and truthfulness, how about us? Do you see the value of honesty now?

There is something that’s even more amazing, the saying of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) about the intercession on the Day of Judgment. People will be suffering, waiting for the judgment in a day equal to fifty thousand days, under extreme heat. Humans will then seek someone to intercede with Allah (SWT) to start the judgment. They will go to all the Prophets and they will end up asking Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He will prostrate in front of Allah (SWT) and intercede for us.

Among the Prophets that humans will ask to intercede is Ibrahim, the friend of Allah. When asked to intercede he will reply by saying, “Myself, myself, I cannot do it, I cannot do it. I have lied three times.” Do you know what kind of lies he’s talking about? It is when he destroyed the statues and he told his people that one of the statues did it. He said it to prove their lies to them, but he still considered it a lie.

What about us? How many times have we lied? Are we even worried about it, or are we even counting how many times we lied? This just shows our ignorance, that we do not even care about committing this major sin.

Allah (SWT) describes some of the liars, who are so used to lying that it becomes part of their personality. Some of these people will even lie to Allah (SWT) on the Day of Judgment. Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “There will then be (left) no subterfuge for them but to say, “By Allah our Lord, we were not those who joined gods with Allah. Behold! how they lie against their own souls! But the (lie) which they invented will leave them in the lurch.”(TMQ, 6:23-24). Can you imagine, they swear untruthfully by Allah and in front of Allah, all this on the Day of Judgment!

What are the reasons for lying?

Let us try to analyze why people lie. There are four major reasons.

1. They lie because they have made a mistake and they want to get out of it. So they lie. You are placed in a difficult situation, and you do not know how to get out of it. You feel that by saying this lie, you will be able to get out of this situation. The main problem with this is that although at the time you feel that this lie will save you, in fact the lie will harm you. This is because when others discover your lie, they will be even angrier with you than if you had just said the truth. You may save yourself temporarily, but your lie will be uncovered later and you will look very bad. It is easier for you to say the truth and get through the difficult position you are in, and be known for being an honest and truthful person.

Omar Ibnul-Khattab said, “If being truthful degrades and lowers me, and it would very rarely do so, it is more likeable to me that being untruthful elevates me, and it would rarely do so.”

Omar Ibn-Abdul-Aziz said, “By Allah, I have not said a single lie since I found out that lying dishonors the people who commit it.”

There is a story that happened during the time of the Prophet (PBUH). Imagine, who is the person whom you are most likely to lie to make him or her happy? Your father, mother, friends? If you lived during the time of the Prophet (PBUH) it would be the Prophet himself! During the battle of Tabouk, 30,000 companions left with the Prophet (PBUH). It was in August, so the heat was extreme. The distance was very long, nearly 1000 Km. So the hypocrites started to make excuses to get out of joining the battle.

However, there were three truthful companions who remained behind and did not join the battle. The Prophet (PBUH) and the army left, and one of these three, Ka’ab Ibn-Malik, kept delaying the matter and said he will leave tomorrow or the next day and catch up with the army. The days passed and he was lazy and it became impossible for him to catch up. He walked around Al-Madinah, and found that only the hypocrites had remained and all the companions were gone with the Prophet (PBUH). After the Prophet (PBUH) returned from the battle, Ka’ab Ibn-Malik became extremely sad and depressed over having missed the battle. He said that he told himself, “How will I even get over the Prophet’s (PBUH) anger when he sees me? So I started to remember and think about lies. But when the Prophet (PBUH) arrived, all these evil thoughts left me, and I decided to say the truth.” The Prophet (PBUH) arrived and entered the mosque. Imagine how big the sin Ka’ab had committed is. He had left the Prophet (PBUH) to go to the battle without joining him, and he remained behind with the hypocrites. When the Prophet (PBUH) sat in the mosque, the hypocrites started coming to him, apologizing and lying and making up excuses about why they didn’t come with the army. The Prophet (PBUH) accepted their apologies and asked Allah (SWT) to forgive them.

Ka’ab Ibn-Malik had seen all of this happen, and he had seen how happy the hypocrites were because the Prophet (PBUH) seemed to be accepting their lies. He came to the Prophet (PBUH). He said, “The Prophet looked at me and smiled the smile of someone who is angry, and he told me to approach. So I approached slowly, until I sat in front of him. He looked at me and said: ‘What made you stay behind? Didn’t you have a camel?’” Ka’ab replied to the Prophet by saying, “O messenger of Allah, if I was with someone else I would have escaped their anger by making an excuse. I am good at arguing. But O messenger of Allah, if I tell you something today that will please you, Allah (SWT) will make you upset with me (because Allah knows the truth). And if I tell you the truth, which will make you angry, I wish that Allah will reward me for it. By Allah O messenger of Allah, I had no excuse. I have never been stronger, or in a better financial situation than on that day.” The Prophet (PBUH) replied, “This man has said the truth. Get up until Allah decides your fate.” (Meaning that the previous hypocrites were not truthful, and the Prophet (PBUH) knew about it). Ka’ba says, “So I got up, and the Prophet forbade people from talking to us three (the three truthful companions who didn’t join the battle) for forty days. When I left the Prophet, some people from the tribe of Bani Salama came to me saying: ‘Why didn’t you make an excuse or lie?’ They did this until I almost turned back to go to lie to the Prophet.”

The people continued to boycott these three, until the revelation came in the holy Qur’an, which we read till today, that they have been forgiven and their repentance accepted. Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “(He turned in mercy also) to the three who were left behind; (they felt guilty) to such a degree that the earth seemed constrained to them, for all its spaciousness, and their (very) Souls seemed straitened to them, and they perceived that there is no fleeing from Allah (and no refuge) but to Himself. Then He turned to them, that they might repent: for Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.” (TMQ, 9:118). What is amazing is the next verse, in which Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “O ye who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true (in word and deed).” (TMQ, 9:119). Allah (SWT) is reminding all of us to always remain honest and truthful.

After these verses were revealed, Ka’ab Ibn-Malik said, “I came to the Prophet (PBUH), and he looked at me and was very happy to see me. He looked at me and so I said to him: ‘O messenger of Allah, by Allah nothing saved me except being truthful. And part of my repentance is to never say anything except the truth from now on.’ And by Allah, I never lied after that, and I hope I continue like this until I die.”

2. The second reason for lying is for you to gain something for yourself, whether it is a position, wealth, or fame. Remember this is a very dangerous kind, and this leads to hypocrisy.

Once the Prophet (PBUH) passed by Abu-Jahl and one of his friends. The Prophet (PBUH) tried to talk to them about Islam, so Abu-Jahl said, “You are a liar Muhammad, I don’t believe you.” The Prophet left sad and upset. Then Abu-Jahl said to his friend, who later became a Muslim, “I know he is saying the truth, but I do not follow him because my tribe and his used to compete with each other.” So as you can see, Abu-Jahl lied for personal gain. He wanted to keep his tribe in competition with that of Prophet Muhammad. Although he knew Muhammad (PBUH) was saying the truth, he refused to accept him because of this personal gain he wanted.

3. The third reason for lying is because you hate someone. You despise someone and hate them and you want to get them in trouble, so you lie. You lie to get them into trouble, or to defame them and make them look bad. But be careful, you may lie and successfully defame someone, but this lie may end up throwing you into the hell fire.

4. The fourth reason to lie is just for the sake of lying. Some people get so used to lying that it becomes normal to them. They even enjoy lying. The Prophet (PBUH) was once asked, “O messenger of Allah, can the believer be a coward?” The Prophet said, “Yes.” They asked, “O messenger of Allah, can the believer be a miser?” The Prophet said, “Yes.” They asked, “O messenger of Allah, can the believer be a liar?” The Prophet said, “No.” A believer can possibly be cowardly in a certain situation, or miserly, but it is not possible for a believer to be a liar. This trait just does not come from a true believer.

Types of being truthful

There are three types of being truthful. Perhaps some of you thought so far that what we mean by being truthful is to have a truthful tongue. But this is just one side of being truthful. There is also the truthfulness of intentions and actions. We will discuss them all one by one.

1) Truthful intentions

This means that you want to perform an action with the pure intention that you do this for the sake of Allah (SWT). For example, many of us may say we study hard in order to pass the exam. This is our intention. But why don’t we make it so that we get rewarded from Allah for our studies by making our intention for our studying to serve Allah? Make your intention to make Muslims more advanced.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Whoever truly seeks martyrdom, Allah will place him among the ranks of the martyrs, even if he dies in his own bed.”(7)

The Prophet also gives a nice example by saying, “The world is for four types of people: The first is a very rich man who is obedient to Allah, and spends his money in the sake of Allah. The second does not have money like the first, but he says that if he had the money he would have done the same as the first.” The Prophet then said, “They are equal in reward.”(8)

2) Truthful utterances

This is a very famous type of truthfulness which all of us know. There are many examples to it, but first remember what the Prophet (PBUH) used to say in his supplication, “O Allah grant me an truthful tongue.” If the Prophet (PBUH) used to say it, how many times should we say it every day?

The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Whoever talks about the Qur’an without having proper knowledge, let him prepare for his place in the hell fire.”(9) So be very careful about trying to analyze or explain verses from the Qur’an if you do not have the proper knowledge. Be careful about explaining verses in a way that suits your desires.

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: The Prophet said, "Convey (my teachings) to the people even if it were a single sentence, and tell others the stories of Bani Israel (which have been taught to you), for it is not sinful to do so. And whoever tells a lie on me intentionally, will surely take his place in the (Hell) Fire." (10) So again be very careful about saying things about the Prophet (PBUH) unless you are sure.

The Prophet (PBUH) said, “The trader who is truthful and trustworthy is among the ranks of the Prophets and the martyrs.”(11)

Ubaidullah Ibn Abu-Bakr said: I heard Anas Ibn-Malik saying: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) talked about the major sins, or he was asked about the major sins. Upon this he observed: Associating anyone with Allah, killing of a person, disobedience to parents. He (the Holy Prophet further) said: Should I not inform you about the gravest of the major sins, and (in this connection) observed: False utterance or false testimony. Shu'ba said. It was most probably" false testimony". (12) And he repeated this so many times that the companions said ‘we wished he would stop’ (because they were so afraid).

Another very dangerous type of lying is lying at the time of marriage. For example, by hiding your faults, such as hiding diseases you have or having been married before.

Another type of lying is lying to children. It is very dangerous because it teaches the children to lie. The Prophet (PBUH) was once sitting at the home of one of the companions. So the son of companion was called by his mother, she said, “Come let me give you something in my hand.” So the Prophet asked her, “What is in your hand, what will you give him?” She replied, “I have a date in my hand that I will give him.” The Prophet said, “If you had nothing in your hand, it would have been written against you as a lie.”

Also, it’s possible to lie when joking. The Prophet (PBUH) warned against lying to entertain people. The Prophet (PBUH) used to make jokes, but he never used to lie.

3) Truthful actions

If you are truthful with Allah (SWT) about a certain issue, Allah (SWT) will grant it to you as you wish it.

During the battle of Badr, one of the companions asked the Prophet (PBUH), “O messenger of Allah, if I fight those (the disbelievers), and they kill me, will I enter paradise?” The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Yes.” Then the Prophet said, “Get up to the paradise which is as wide as the heavens and the earth.” So the companion was pleased and said, “I hope I am one of its people.” The Prophet (PBUH) said, “You are one of its people.” The companion had some dates in his hands which he was eating. He said, “Nothing stands between me and paradise except these dates?” So he threw them, and went to the battle where he was martyred. He was truthful with Allah, and truly wanted paradise so Allah granted him martyrdom. If you are truthful in your actions towards Allah, Allah (SWT) will grant you what you want.

When is Lying Permitted?

Scholars said that lying is allowed in three cases only:

1) In war.

2) When trying to mend relations between people.

3) Lying to the wife to please her, such as telling her, “You are the most beautiful woman in the world.”




(1) TMQ=Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an. This translation is for the realized meaning, so far, of the stated (Surah:Ayah) of the Qur'an. Reading the translated meaning of the Qur'an can never replace reading it in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed.

(2) Sahih Bukhari: Volume 8, Book 73, Number 116

(3) Al-Albani: 1470

(4) Sahih Bukhari: Volume 8, Book 76, Number 481

(5) Al-Albani: 2930

(6) Sahih Bukhari: Volume 8, Book 73, Number 117

(7) Sahih Muslim: 1909

(8) Al-Albani: 16

(9) Al-Albani: 167

(10) Sahih Buhkari: Volume 4, Book 56, Number 667

(11) Al-Albani: 3453

(12) Sahih Muslim: Book 001, Number 0160



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