2.10. FALSEHOOD

God says

O you who have attained to faith, do not be false to God and the Apostle, and do not knowingly be false to the trust [amanah] that has been reposed to you; and know that your worldly goods and your children are but a trial and a temptation, and that with God there is a tremendous reward.* -- Q.8: 27

* Inasmuch as love of worldly goods and a desire to protect one’s family may lead a person to transgression, they are described as fitnah. However, contrary to the New Testament, the Qur’an does not postulate a contempt for worldly attachments as a pre-requisite of righteousness: it only demands man that he should not allow these attachments to deflect him from the pursuit of moral verities.

And never concern thyself with anything of which thou hast no knowledge:* verily, [thy] hearing and sight and heart – all of them – will be called to account for it [on Judgment Day]! -- Q.17:36*

This would seem to relate to groundless assertions about events or people (and hence to slander or false testimony), to statements based on guesswork unsupported by evidence, or to interfering in social situations which one is unable to evaluate correctly.

Prophet said

1. “Should I not inform you about the greatest of great sins? (These are:) setting up a partner with God, disobedience to parents and false talk”-- H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abu Bakrah.

2. “Beware of falsehood because falsehood leads to transgression and transgression leads to fire. A man continues to speak falsehood and (thus) to adhere to falsehood till he is enrolled as a great liar in the sight of God.”-- H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abdullah-b-Masud.

2:09. THE TRUTH & TRUTHFULLNES (concluded)

God says

O you who believe! be true to your covenants* …. Q.5: 1

*The term ‘aqd (“covenant “) denotes a solemn undertaking or engagement involving more than one party. According to Raghib, the covenants referred to in this verse “are of three kinds: the covenants between God and man [i.e., man’s obligations towards God], between man and his own soul, and between the individual and his fellow-men” – thus embracing the entire area of man’s moral and social responsibilities.

O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and be among those who are true to their word! -- Q.9: 119

But he who brings the truth, and he who wholeheartedly accepts it as true – it is they, they who are [truly] conscious of Him! -- Q.39: 33

We sent aforetime Our Messengers with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong) so that men may stand forth in justice …Q.57:25

Prophet said

1. “Give up what appears doubtful to you for that which does not appear doubtful. Truth is peace of mind and falsehood is doubt”– Ahmed, Tirmizi and Nisai. N: Hasan-b-Ali.

2. In his famous work of Hadith ‘Mu’atta’, Malik reported: It has reached me that Loqman the wise was asked: “How have you acquired excellence?” He replied: “By speaking truth, fulfilling of trust and by giving up what is of no use to me. “

2.09. THE TRUTH & TRUTHFULLNESS (to continue)

God says

O you who have attained to faith! Be ever steadfast in upholding justice, bearing witness to the truth for the sake of God, even though it is against your own selves or your parents or your kinsfolk. Whether the person concerned be rich or poor, God’s claim takes precedence over [the claim of] either of them. Do not then follow your own desires lest you swerve from justice: for if you distort (the truth), behold, God is indeed aware of all that you do.- Q.4: 135

* I.e., “do not allow the fact that a man is rich to prejudice you in his favour or against him, and do not, out of misplaced compassion fovour the poor man at the expense of the truth”

And on the Day of Judgment God will say: This is a day truthfulness shall benefit all who have been true to their word: theirs shall be the gardens through which running waters flow, therein to abide beyond the count of time; well pleased is God with them and well pleased are they with Him; this is the triumph supreme. -- Q.5: 119

Prophet said

1. “You shall speak truth because truth leads to piety and piety leads to paradise. A man continues to speak truth and adheres to the truth , till he is enrolled near God a great truthful man” – H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Abdullah-b-Masud.

2. The Prophet was asked who among men was best? He replied, “Everyone pure of heart* and truthful of tongue” – H: Ibn Majah. N: Abdullah-b-‘Amr.

* According to the Prophet it is the pure heart that bears neither sin, nor transgression, nor deceit, nor envy (hasad).

2.08. OPPRESSION (concluded)

God says:

… God does not love evildoers – Q.3: 140

And such is thy Sustainer’s punishing grasp whenever He takes to task any community that isgiven to evildoing: verily His punishing grasp is grievous, severe! - Q.11: 102

BEHOLD, from on high have We bestowed upon thee [O Muhammad] this divine writ, setting forth the truth for [the benefit of all] humankind. And whoever chooses to be guided [thereby], does so for his own good, and whoever chooses to go astray,* goes but astray to his own hurt;…. Q.39: 41

*I.e., chooses not to be guided by the divine writ through which God has set forth the truth for the benefit of all humankind.

The above verse 39: 41 and its explanation needs to be born in mind, specially by those who have yet not taken seriously the study of the Quran. They do not know what they are missing. If the reason is that you do not know the Arabic language, then it is worth noting that the Quran came to provide guidance not only to the Arabs but to the people of the entire world, and most of them do not know Arabic. Hence, the translation (m’ana wa mafhoom) in many languages. And for those who want to understand further more, there is elaboration or explanation (tafseer). However, if the reason is that the study of the Quran is meant only for the learned (‘Ulama), then heed the following verse :

“Even as (My blessings) We have sent among you an Apostle from among yourselves to convey unto you Our messages, and to cause you to grow in purity, and to impart unto you revelation [Quran] and wisdom [hikmah], and to teach you that which you knew not:” -- 2: 151

Mark the last phrase, “and to teach you that which you knew not:” The fact remains, that those who are learned and those who are not, they both receive guidance from the Quran. Are you aware that in the 54th Chapter, which is quite brief, four times has God repeatedly called: “Hence, indeed, We made this Quran easy to bear in mind: who, then, is willing to take it to heart?” Will you then not respond now and say : ”I am, my Lord.”

Prophet said:

1. “Whoever has done wrong affecting his brother Muslim’s honour or any other thing of his, let him ask his forgiveness now before (the Day of Resurrection when) he will have neither silver nor gold coins (to compensate). His good deeds equaling his wrong-doing will be (given to the other), and if he will have no good deeds left, bad deeds of the other will be laid on him”-- H: Bukhari. N: Abu Hurairah.

2. “Beware of the invocation of the oppressed because nothing stands between the invocation of the oppressed and God. ”-- H: Bukhari and Muslim. N: Ibn ‘Abbas.