Truthfulness and lying
Written by: SK.
Translated by Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa
07
Thil-Qada 1429 h
07 Novembe 2008 ac
Allah says: {This
is a Day on which the truthful will profit from their truth; theirs are
Gardens in Paradise under which rivers flow. They shall be therein forever.
Allah is pleased with them and they are with Him. That is the great success.}
6:119.
The messenger (PPBU) said: {Be truthful, for truthfulness is with honesty
and fidelity, and they are both in paradise. And be warned of lying, for it
is with immorality, and both of them are in Hellfire. Ask Allah to grant you
certainty, health and healing, for no one was ever granted anything which is
better than certainty other than health. Do not be envious, and do not be
hateful, and do not sever relationships, and do not plot or scheme or
connive against one another. And be slaves to Allah brethrens, just as
commanded by Allah}.
Islam is more than any other religion; in being against lying and in being
more adorning to truthfulness. Allah say: {You
who believe, fear Allah and be with the those who are truthful}
9:119. In fact, truthfulness is considered to be the key to honesty, and
lying is the key to sin and immorality. The messenger (PPBU) said:
{Truthfulness leads to honesty and fidelity, and honesty and fidelity leads
to paradise. And Lying leads to sin, deceit and wrong deeds; and sin leads
to Hellfire}. The messenger (PPBU) also said: {it is a great betrayal to
talk to your brother and he is a believer of you, when you are a liar to
him}.
In fact lying is one of the three signs of a hypocrite. And the three signs
are: if he talks he lies; and if he promises he break his promise, and if he
is entrusted he betrays. The messenger (PPBU) said: {There are many traits a
Muslim can acclimatise or be accustomed to; except betrayal and lying.}
The messenger (PPBU) was asked: Could a Muslim be a coward? He said “yes”.
He was asked: “Could a Muslim be mean or tightfisted”. He said “yes”. He was
asked: “Could a Muslim be a liar?” ”. He said “No”.
Dear brothers, lying is cowardness, ignobility and an assault against Allah;
deserving being cursed and being expelled from the mercy of Allah. Indeed
there may be excuses for those who may be overwhelmed with fear and
cowardness or be over careful when asked for a sacrifice. But, there is no
excuse to those who take lying as a way of life used to deceive and cheat on
people. Allah says: {Allah
will not guide this who is a regular liar.}
40:28.
You faithful make your morals, ethics and character is the same as that of
your prophet. And be certain that truthfulness was one of his facets. And it
was also a character of the prophets sent before him. Any nation that was
sent a messenger, that messenger was the most truthful individual in that
nation. Prophet Muhammad (PPBU) was well known amongst his people of being
the truthful and the trusted one. The messenger (PPBU) used to despise lying
and liars. 3a-esha the wife of the messenger (PPBU) said: “No other
character was more despised by the messenger as lying was. Whenever someone
told him a lie; it stayed with him in his mind; until he heard that he made
repentance”.
The messenger said: {In a vision tonight I saw two men who came and said to
me: This whom you saw his cheek being cut open, he was a liar. He used to
tell the lie, which is carried into the horizons. That’s what he gets done
with him in the day of resurrection}.
Dear faithful, it is bad enough and shameful enough for this who lies is to
be the target of Allah’s anger, fury and torment. The messenger (PPBU) said:
{There are three in the day of resurrection whom Allah shall not talk to,
shall not look at and shall not say a good word on their behalf, they shall
have sever torture: an old man who commits adultery, and king who lies. And
one who supports and provides for others but does it with arrogance and
superiority}.
Belal and his brother Sohaib went to some Arabs family wishing to ask for
their daughters for marriage. They were asked: Who are you two? Bilal said:
“I am Bilal and this is my brother Sohaib. We were on the wrong track and
Allah guided us. And we were slaves and Allah set us free. And we were poor
and Allah made us rich. If you accept us for marriage, then all thanks be to
Allah, and if your turn us back, then all praise be to Allah”. The people
said: “You shall be accepted for marriage, and all thanks be to Allah”. When
the two brothers left, Sohaib said to Bilal: Why didn’t you mention our
action in the battles with the messenger (PPBU)? Bilal said: “Be quite, we
were truthful, and the truth got us married”.
We ought to follow those who were taught by the messenger (PPBU), and use
them as examples when we teach our children to adhere to honesty and truth,
virtue, faithfulness and loyalty. And let parents be warned from lying to
their children and getting used to it, even if it was to keep them quite
when crying or to ease their anger. That will make the children loose their
confidence and trust in what the parent say when they give advice.
Abdullah Ebn 3Amer said the messenger (PPBU) came to our house when I was a
little boy, and I went out to play. But my mother wanted me to stay and she
said to me: “Come here and I will give you something”. The messenger (PPBU)
said: “What did you want to give him?” she answered: “some dates.” He said:
“if you don’t give him; then it would be counted for you as a lie”.
One of the scholars, Sk. Abdul-Qadir Al-Kailani said that I have accustomed
my self since I was young to the truth. And I left Mecca to Bagdad seeking
education. My mother gave me 40 dinars to help with the costs. On the way we
were faced with a gang rubbing the camel train and they took all animals and
their loads and left the people standing. One of the rubbers going past me
asked me: what have you got with you? I said: 40 dinars. (the equivelant of
40.000 now). He thought I was trying to be smart and make fun of him and he
left me. Another man in the gang saw me and asked me too: what have you got
with you? I said: 40 dinars, who took me to their chief. Who asked me the
same and I told him the truth. He said: “What is it that makes you tell the
truth?” I said: “I made a promise to my mother to be truthful. And I fear to
break my promise to her”. The head of the gang became very fearful; and
started screaming and tearing up his clothes, and said: “you fear betraying
your mother’s promise, and I am not fearful of betraying Allah’s promise.”
He then ordered to give back all that was taken. And he said: “I have just
repented to Allah because of you”. The rest of the men in the gang with him
said: “you were our chief in robberies, and today you are our chief in
repentance.” And they all repented because of the mercy of the truth.
We ask Allah to give us knowledge which will be of benefit, and a good
accepted deed. And all thanks be to Allah.
Notes:
-
Adhan
- The call to prayer.
-
Ansar (or Al-Ansar):
The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the
messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of
Islam.
Assalam Alaikum -
The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace
be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching
it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during
leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.
Aya (or Ayah):
is a verse of the Koran.
It also means a miracle or a sign from God.
Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat):
is a mountain
outside the city of Mecca
that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing
Hajj must stay at this location on the same
day.
Badr
- The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the
pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.
Caliph
- A Muslim ruler. See:
(Khalifa)
Dajjal
- Antichrist or the False Massiah.
Dawah
- The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.
Deen (Din)
- Religion or way of life.
Duaa:
a prayer in the form of
talking to Allah;
praising him and asking him for help.
Fatwa
- Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are
the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.
Ferdose:
is the highest level of
the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.
Fiqh
- Religious law.
Hadeeth:
is something reported
that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave.
It is usually narrated or told by one
of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are
reported and checked to be genuine. No
more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.
Hajar -
The Black Stone set into the corner of the
Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.
Hajj -
The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in
the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.
Hasana or hasanas:
is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.
Hadith
- The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his
followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.
Hajj: is
the worship of pilgrimage.
Hijra (or
Hejrah):
the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This
event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12
months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a
name for the Islamic dating system.
Ibadah -
Worship. All the words and deeds with which
Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.
Iblis - (Ibleese):
On of Satan's names.
Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used
by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar
or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn
Omar.
Imam
(or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.
Iman:
belief or faith
Injil (Enjeel) -
The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the
Christians.
Islam
- Submission, the religion of all the
prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.
Jannah -
The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of
the faithful in the afterlife.
Jihad:
is striving in the
line
of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving
oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection
of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the
fight one's self against temptations.
It also means "holy war."
Jinn
-
Supernatural, invisible beings race of
beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst
them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on
Judgment Day.
Ka'aba:
A cube shaped building in
Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say
Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by
Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers.
Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage
in a ritual known as Tawaf.
Khalifa:
is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation:
"Successor".
Khutbah -
A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.
Kufr -
Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for
anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.
Koran
- Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book
of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran
literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to
the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)
Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the
Arabian
peninsula
(in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to
immigrate to.
Then it was called Yathrib.
Masjid -
A
center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.
Masiah -
A
sin, or a sinful act
Mecca or Makkah:
is
the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous
black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).
Mosque - A Muslim
house of worship.
Muhajir -
(Muhajireen)
Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It
was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median
and Ethiopia.
Muhammad -
the final messenger and
prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He
received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in
Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad
ibn Abd-Allah
Muslim
- One who holds faith to the religion of
Islam.
Nafilah:
a voluntary prayer other
than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.
Nasara -
Christians. Nasrani:
A Christian individual. Nasraniah:
Christianity.
Ommah:
is the Arabic word for a
nation. It usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.
Paradise -
Another word for heaven. A
garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and
imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels.
All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty
Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise
is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.
PPBU
(P.B.U.H.) :
Peace and Prayers Be
Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the
messenger or make a reference to him.
Qadar -
Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all
things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.
Qadr - (night of Qadr):
The night when the first
revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the
last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to
the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and
few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the
holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.
Qibla -
The direction which Muslims turn for daily
prayers, towards Mecca.
Quraish -
An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger
Muhammad belonged.
Ramadan -
The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which
is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.
Salat -
Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of
worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is
performed to worship Allah five times daily.
Shiaa:
A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion
leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants
of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who
ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.
Shirk -
Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with
Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of
Monotheism or Tawheed.
Siam or Soam-
Fasting
Sunni:
is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life
style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.
Sunna (Sunnah):
Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he
dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought.
Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered
the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an
important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes.
It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all
Muslims.
Surah -
A
chapter of the Koran.
Tawaf:
part of the pilgrimage (Hajj)
ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise
direction a number of seven circles.
Tauhid - Tawheed -
Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that
there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement
of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new
Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)
Taqwah -
Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person
to understand God.
Taurat: The old
Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.
Ummah -
the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to
the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.
Umrah - (Amrah):
A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to
Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic
year, Umrah can be performed at any time.
Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual
done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.
Zaboor -
The
Psalms
Zakat -
The
third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.
