Translation: [ Imam Abu-Hamid Al-Ghazali talked in detail about this topic. Below is a quotation from what he said on this subject, taken from Ihya'a Ulum Al-Din, (Revival of the Religious Sciences) '.
Translation: Al-Ghazali said: ' Excellence of Truthfulness ' Allah says:
Translation: 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 wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Hellfire. And a man may keep on telling lies until he is written with Allah as a liar. "
It is enough that the Prophets (peace be upon them) were described as truthful people. Allah says:
Translation: " Also mention in the Book (the story of) Ismae'el. He was (strictly) true to what he promised, and he was a Messenger and a Prophet ﷺ " (19: 54) And
Translation: “ Also mention in the Book the case of Idrees. He was a man of truth (and sincerity), and a Prophet. * " (19:56)
Translation: 8 The Noble Koran.
Translation: Ibn Abbas said: ' Whoever has the following four qualities has attained prosperity: truthfulness, modesty, good character, and shows gratefulness. "
Bishr ibn Al-Hareth said: " Whoever treats Allah truthfully feels rest from people. '
Abu Abdul-Imran Al-Ramli said: ' I saw Mansour Al- Dinouri in a dream and asked him: " How has Allah judged you? " He said: " He forgave me, He poured His mercy on me, and gave me what I had hoped for. " I said: " What is the best deed a servant could offer? " He said: " Truthfulness and the ugliest thing is lying. "
Abu-Solayman said: ' Let truthfulness be your riding animal, truth be your sword, and Allah be the dearest end. '
A man said to a wise man: ' I have never seen a truthful person. ' He said: ' Had you been truthful, you would have known the truthful. '
Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Kinani said: ' We found the religion of Allah built on three pillars: righteousness, truthfulness, and justice. Right is obligatory on the limbs. Truthfulness is obligatory on reason. Justice is obligatory on the hearts. '
Translation: Commenting on the following statement, Al-Thawri said: ' Those who claimed love of Allah while they were not truthful. The verse says: " On the Day of Judgment you will see those who told lies against Allah; their faces will be turned black... * " (39: 60)
( شرح رياض الصالحين - جـ ١ )
Translation: It was said: ' Three qualities guarantee salvation and each one of them completes the other: pure Islam (i.e. that is the religion free of innovation and whims), truthfulness in doing deeds, and lawful earning. "
It was said to Sahl: ' What is the foundation of this matter of ours? ' He said: ' Truthfulness, mercy, and bravery. ' It was said to him: ' What else? ' He said: ' Piety, modesty, and lawful earning. '
Translation: Commenting on the following statement, Al-Jonayd said: ' Those who are truthful with their own souls will be asked about their truthfulness with their Lord. And this is dangerous. The verse says: " That (Allah) may reckon the custodians of truth concerning the truth they (were charged with)... " (33: 8)
Translation: Nature, Meaning, and Degrees of Truthfulness
Kindly, be informed that truthfulness is used to express six meanings: truthfulness in utterance, truthfulness in intention and will, truthfulness in determination, truthfulness in fulfillment of covenants, truthfulness in work, and truthfulness in fulfillment of religious affairs. Whoever behaves in a truthful manner regarding these six affairs is truthful. They have various ranks. He that has one type of truthfulness that we have mentioned, he is truthful, in addition to what he has of truthfulness besides these six types.
The First Type of Truthfulness:
The first type of truthfulness comprises truthfulness in utterance, i.e. what is related to information. Such type is related either to the past or the future. This type comprises fulfilling or not fulfilling promises. It is incumbent on every servant to preserve his tongue by speaking only the truth. This is the most apparent type of truthfulness. Thus, he that kept his tongue from telling what contradicts reality is truthful.
The Second Type of Truthfulness:
The second type of truthfulness comprises truthfulness in intention and will. This is attributed to sincerity, i.e. to have no objective for activity and inactivity except for Allah's sake. If part of the soul interpolates the intention, this renders truthfulness null and void. He who does this is called a liar, as we explained when discussing the virtue of sincerity. When the knowledgeable one will be asked about what he has done with what he has learnt. He will answer: ' I have done such and such. It will be said to him: " You have told lies. You have done this in order that people would say: ' So and so is knowledgeable. " Such a person is described as a liar in his intention and will. It was said: ' Truthfulness is to have pure intention. ' Allah says:
Translation: "... and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars. * " (63: 1)
Translation: In the above verse, Allah divulges what the hypocrites conceal in their hearts. Thus, we infer that one of the meanings of truthfulness is sincerity of intention. Thus every truthful person should be sincere.
Translation: The Third Type of Truthfulness:
The third type of truthfulness comprises truthfulness in determination, because determination usually precedes actions. An example of this is one's saying: ' If Allah provides me with wealth, I will give it in charity. If I meet an enemy of Allah I will fight him, caring for nothing even if I would be killed. If Allah gives me authority, I will establish justice in earth and I will not deal unjustly with anyone. Such a determination would be created in his heart or there would be some deviation or weakness contradicting truthfulness in intention. Truthfulness in this case means perfection and strength. As it is said: such and such sick person has a lying lust if his lust was weak or has no strong cause. Thus, truthfulness, in some cases, refers to this meaning. The truthful person is he whose intention in doing goodness has such perfect strength that it has neither weakness nor hesitation.
His soul determines to do goodness earnestly all the time. An example of this is Omar's saying: ' It is better for me to proceed and my neck gets smitten, than to be an leader of a people who has Abu-Bakr amongst them. ' In this saying, we see that Omar has determined earnestly and truthfully not to be the leader of a people among whom Abu-Bakr was. He confirmed what he has said by mentioning that it would be better for him to be killed.
The Fourth Type of Truthfulness:
The fourth type of truthfulness comprises truthfulness in fulfilling intentions, because the soul gives promises easily without any hardship, but when incidents take place and the emotions are stirred, determination retreats, and the result is not attained. This contradicts truthfulness. Allah says:
Translation: Narrated Anas ibn Malek: My uncle Anas ibn Al- Nadhr was absent from the battle of Badr. He said: " O Messenger of Allah! I was absent from the first battle you fought against the polytheists. By Allah, if Allah gives me a chance to fight the polytheists, no doubt, Allah will see how (bravely) I will fight. " On the day of Uhud when the Muslims turned their backs and fled, he (the Messenger of Allah) said: " O Allah! I apologize to You for what these (i.e. his companions) have done, and I denounce what these (the polytheists) have done. " Then he advanced and Sa'ad ibn Mo'az met him. He said: " O Sa'ad ibn Mo'az! By the Lord of Al-Nadhr, Paradise! I smell its aroma coming from before (the mountain of) Uhud. " Later on Sa'ad said: " O Messenger of Allah! I cannot achieve or do what he (i.e. Anas ibn Al- Nadhr) did. We found more than eighty wounds from swords and arrows in his body. We found him dead and his body was mutilated so badly that none except his sister could recognize him by his fingers. We used to think that the following Verse was revealed concerning him and other men of his sort: " (Among the believers are) men who have been true to their covenant with Allah... * (رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ : 23)
Translation: The Messenger of Allah stood before Mosa'ab ibn Omair when he was martyred on the day of Uhud and said: “ Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenants with Allah. Of them some have completed their vow (to the extreme), and some (still) wait... *** (33: 23) Mosa'ab was a commander with a banner. "
Translation: Narrated Fodhala ibn Obaid: ' I heard Omar ibn Al- Khattab saying: " There are four martyrs: a believer who has a perfect faith who, when confronted the enemy, showed truthfulness to Allah and was killed. This is the man at whom people will raise their eyes like this for on the Day of Judgment. (The narrator said: ' He raised his eyes until his helmet fell. He was not sure whether the helmet of Omar or of the helmet of the Prophet fell). And a believer who has a perfect faith confronted the enemy in a cowardly manner until an aimless arrow hit him and killed him. He is in the second level. And a believer who has mixed a good deed with an evil one and then confronted the enemy and showed truthfulness to Allah and was killed. He is in the third level. And a believer who transgressed the limits and confronted the enemy and he showed truthfulness to Allah and was killed. He is in the fourth level. "
Commenting on the following statement, Mojahid said: ' Two men came out to some people while they were sitting and said: ' If Allah provided us with wealth, we would give it in charity, but they did not do. So, Allah revealed the following verse:
Translation: " Amongst them are men who made a covenant with Allah, that if He bestowed on them of His bounty, they would give (largely) in charity, and be truly amongst those who are righteous. * But when He did bestow of His bounty, they became covetous, and turned back (from their covenant), averse (to fulfilling it). * So He put, as a consequence, hypocrisy into their hearts, (to last) until the Day whereon. they shall meet Him, because they broke their covenant with Allah, and because they lied (again and again). (9: 75-77)
Translation: Thus, the Noble Koran considers a mere intention as a covenant. It considers the fulfillment of it as truthfulness and the non fulfillment of it as lying. This type of truthfulness is harder than the third one. For, people may intend to do something, but they fail to fulfill it because their emotions overcome them or fulfillment becomes hard for them. For this reason when Omar said: ' It is better for me to proceed and my neck be smitten than to be a leader of people among whom is Abu-Bakr. ' Then Omar made an exception and said; ' Except if my soul incites me to another thing that I do not find now, and hence fulfillment becomes hard for me, ' referring to the difficulty of fulfillment of the intention.
Translation: The Fifth Type of Truthfulness:
The fifth type of truthfulness comprises truthfulness in deeds. This means that a man spares no effort to show the truthfulness of his inner feelings, by compelling the inner feelings to be in harmony with the physical actions, and not through abandonment of deeds. This contradicts what we have mentioned about abandonment of showing off, because he who dissembles is he who so intends.
How many worshippers standing in humility in the prayer, not intending to show off, but his heart is heedless of his prayer. Physically, he is standing before the hands of Allah while he is wandering in the market or in his personal desires. These deeds show a difference from the inner feelings. Another example is that one may walk in tranquility while he is not feeling this inside. This person is untruthful in his deeds, even if he does not pay attention to people's responses or is intending to show off. One is not rescued from this except through purity of intention and physical deeds. In other words his inner feelings should be better than his physical deeds.
Thus, when the physical deeds contradict the inner feelings, this is called showing off, and this removes sincerity. If a contradiction was not intended, it removes truthfulness.
Yazeed ibn Al-Hareth said: If the inner feelings and the physical deeds of the servant are equal, this is justice. If the inner feelings are better, this is virtuous. And if the physical deeds are better than the inner feelings, this is injustice. '
Mu'aweya ibn Qorra said: ' Who can show me someone weeping profusely by night who is smiling by day? "
Abdul-Wahed ibn Zayd said: ' Whenever Al-Hasan ordered anything, he was the one who did it persistently. And when he prohibited anything, he was the farthest one from it. I could not see any one whose physical deeds and inner feelings were equal, except him. '
Abu Abdul-Rahman Al-Zahed said: ' My God! I used to treat with people honestly and I used to treat You dishonestly. ' He used to weep profusely.
Abu-Ya'aqoub said: ' Truthfulness is harmony with the truth publicly and privately. '
Thus, equality between inner feelings and physical deeds is a type of truthfulness.
The Sixth Type of Truthfulness:
The sixth type of truthfulness is the highest degree of truthfulness. It comprises truthfulness in religious affairs, like truthfulness in fear, hope, glorification, asceticism, contentment, putting one's trust in Allah, love, and other matters. These matters have evident effects, ends, and natures. He that attained their natures has prospered. If one shows truthfulness in some affair, he is called truthful, as it said: ' So and so is truthful in fighting, ' or ' This is a truthful fear, or This is a truthful emotion. ' Allah says:
Translation: " Only those are believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and have never since doubted, but have striven with their belongings and their persons in the cause of Allah. Such are the sincere ones. " * " (49: 15) And
Translation: " It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West, but it is righteousness to believe in Allah, and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Books, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, on your kin, on the orphans, on the needy, on the wayfarer, on those who ask, and on the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer; and practice regular charity,; to fulfill the contracts that you have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing. * " (2: 177)
Translation: The degrees of truthfulness ' are limitless and a servant may be truthful in some affairs and untruthful in others. If he is truthful in all affairs, he is called Siddeeq (an extremely truthful one). Sa'ad ibn Mo'az said: ' I am strong in three affairs and weak in the rest. I have never performed a prayer inadvertently since I reverted to Islam. I have not escort a funeral except that I preoccupied my soul in anything except what it would say or except what would be said to it until its burial was completed. And I have never heard any utterance of the Prophet except that i believed that it was true. Sa'eed ibn Al-Mosayyib said: ' We have not heard that anyone but the Prophet possessed this combination of qualities.
Translation: Now, let us consider what Imam An0Nawawi said about this subject.]
Translation: " Verily, the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam) men and women, the believing men and women (who believe in Islamic Monotheism), the men and the women who are obedient (to Allah), the men and women who are truthful (in their speech and deeds), the men and the women who are patient (in performing all the duties that Allah has ordered and in abstaining from what Allah has forbidden), the men and the women who are humble (before their Lord-Allah), the men and the women who give zakat, the men and the women who observe fasting (the obligatory fasting during the month of Ramadhan, and the optional fasting), the men and the women who guard their chastity (from illegal sexual acts), and the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (Paradise). * " (33: 35) And
Translation: " Obedience (to Allah) and good words (were better for them). And when the matter (preparation for Jihad) is resolved upon, if they had been true to Allah then, it would have been better for them. ** (47:21)
48. Narrated Abdullah: ' The Prophet said: " Truthfulness leads to righteousness. Righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes an extremely truthful person. False Hud leads to wickedness. Wickedness leads to the Hellfire, and a man may keep on telling lies until he is written before Allah as a liar. " (Bukhari)
Translation: 49. Heracles said: ' What does he order you to do? ' I (Abu- Sofyan) said: ' He tells us to worship Allah Alone, and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our kith and kin⁹... '
Translation: 50. Narrated Abu-Huraira: ' The Prophet said: " A prophet amongst the prophets carried out a holy military expedition, so he said to his followers: ' Anyone who has married a woman and wants to consummate the marriage, and has not done so yet, should not accompany me; nor should a man who has built a house but has not completed its roof; nor a man who has sheep or camels and is waiting for the birth of their young ones. ' So the prophet went out on the expedition and when he reached the town at the time, or nearly at the time, of Al-asr Prayer, he said to the sun: " O sun! You are under Allah's Order and I am under Allah's Order. O Allah! Stop it (i.e. the sun) from setting. ' It was stopped until Allah made him victorious. Then he collected the booty and lit a fire to burn it, but it did not burn it. He said (to his men): ' Some of you have stolen something from the booty; so one man from every tribe should give me a vow by shaking hands with me. ' (They so did and (the hand of a man) got stuck in the hand of their prophet. Then that prophet said (to the man): " The theft has been committed by your people; so all the people of your tribe should give me a vow by shaking hands with me. ' The hands of two or three men got stuck in the hand of their prophet and he said: " You have committed the theft. " " Then they brought a head of gold, like the head of a cow, and put it there, and the fire came and consumed the booty. ” The Prophet (Muhammad) added: " Then Allah saw our weakness and disability, so He made booty legal for us. ". (Bukhari)
Translation: 51. Narrated Ibn Omar; ' I heard the Messenger of Allah saying: " Both the seller and the buyer have the free choice either to terminate or abrogate the deal, as long as they did not part or resolutely choose. " (At-Termizi)
Translation: The narrator said; ' Whenever Ibn Omar has finalized a deal while he is sitting on a chair, he used to stand up then so as to indicate that he effected it.
Abu-Issa said: " The Hadith of Abu-Sae'ed is Hasan Saheeh, and some people of knowledge of the Prophet's 10 If a seller said to a buyer: ' I have sold such and such to you, " he has the free choice to withdraw his offer as long as the buyer has not accepted. The same applies to the buyer.
companions and others act on it. This is the opinion of Al- Shafe'e, Ahmed, and Ishaq. They considered the physical parting not the verbal one. Some others interpreted the words
مَا لَمْ يَتَفَرَّقَا as long as they did not part as referring to the
Translation: verbal parting. But, the first opinion is sounder, because Ibn Omar who narrated the Hadith and the most knowledgeable of its meaning used to stand up or go out, i.e. make a physical parting.