The Truth
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
0
comments
Imam Ghazali (RA)
Advice to be True
Allah has created this whole universe on the basis of love, and has
demanded of the people that they should build up their life on the
foundation of truth, to make truth and straight dealing a practice of
their life, and should give place to truth only in their talks and
dealings.
When this clear sense is lost sight of by people, and false stories,
superstitions and absurd beliefs rule their self, ideas and thoughts,
then hardness and harshness are generated in them they move away from
the right path, and they totally give up those realities the adoption of
which was necessary.
For this reason the strong and firm pillar of a Muslim's character is
straight dealing. It is his duty to be attached to truth in every matter
and to see every problem and affair through the glasses of truth, To
keep it before him in every decision is the clearest manifestation of
his dealing and treatment, Similarly the construction of the society in
Islam is made on this foundation that mere conjectures and superstitions
should be opposed baseless things and imaginary stories should be
thrown outs doubts and misgivings should not be encouraged, because
strong and firm realities only deserve to be manifested; they should
have their imprint on the society s and their help should be taken in
strengthening various relations.
Allah's Messenger has said:
"Keep away from ill-thinking, because ill-thinking is the greatest falsehood,"(Bukhari)
Another hadith says:
"Leave
alone doubtful things, follow those matters in which there is no doubts
for truth is a means of satisfaction and falsehood is the cause of
doubts and misgivings." (Tirmizi)
Quran has expressed condemnation of those communities who follow
conjectures and superstitions that have filled their brains with
absurdities and has staked their present and future, with the help of
the false stories, on the gamble of corruption and disruption:
"They
follow nothing but conjecture and what their own souls desire, even
though there has already come to them Guidance from their Lord."
(An-Najm ..23)
"But
they have no knowledge therein. They follow nothing but conjecture and
conjecture avails nothing against Truth" (An-Najm.. 28)
Since Islam respects truth most strongly, it turns away liars very
harshly. It admonishes them very severely. Hazrat Ayesha narrates :
"Allah's
Messenger did not hate anything as strongly as he hated falsehood, If
he received in formation that a particular man has told a lie, he used
to throwaway that man's respect and honour from his heart till the time
he was not informed that he has repented for it," (Ahmed)
Another narration by her states:
"For
the Messenger of Allah falsehood was the worst habit in a person, If
any man told a lie in his presence, that man's thought always troubled
him until the time he was informed that he has repented", (Ibn Habban)
This habit of the Prophet is not at all surprising. This was the policy
of our forefathers. Their relations were formed on the basis of
righteousness and good moral character. They knew each other. If anyone
had blemishes in his character, and if he could be singled out on
account of his misdeeds, then his position in that society would be like
the position of a man suffering from an infectious itching disease in a
healthy society, and he was not considered deserving of any
The distinctive characteristic of the Muslim society in its first
period was truth, disciplines, tolerance and cautious manner of
speaking, Falsehood, breaking of promises, false accusations, and
baseless things are the signs of disruption or of breaking away relation
from religion. Or if they are to be termed as having relation with the
religion, then it would be caused the religious business of the false
accusers, deceivers and tricksters, or the religiosity of liars and
promise breakers.
Falsehood is a Great Curse
Falsehood is such an evil that discloses the internal corruption and
wickedness of the liar; and this is a name of the wrong dealing which
only acts in spreading evil, so much so that even without the needs that
are troublesome or the forcing inclinations it leads persons to
committing sins.
Some evils are such that a man is involved in them totally. They are
like diseases which require a very long drawn treatment; they are like
fright and cowardice, which always hinder the progress of a coward and a
frightened man, or like greed which makes men miserly and stingy.
When some people come out for jihad to accompany the soldiers, they are
shivering in their boots. Or some other people who are terrified when
they work out the amount of Zakat that they have to pay. What is the
comparison of these coward and miserly natures with those brave and
generous natures which rush towards death laughing and which spend their
wealth in the cause of Allah most willingly!
Here some excuse can be found for such person as they become a prey of
their fears and doubts when called upon to offer sacrifices. But there
can be absolutely no excuse for those who make lying their habit and who
for the whole of their life go on deceiving people by their falsehoods.
Allah's Messenger said:
"All the evils can be found in a momin, except dishonesty and falsehood." (Ahmed)
The
Messenger of Allah was asked whether any Muslim could be a coward. He
answered : "Yes." He was asked: "Can a momin be a miser ?' He said that
yea, he could be a miser. He was again asked: "Can a momin be a liar?"
He replied: "No !" (Malik)
The replies of the Prophet show that these factors of deficiency and
weakness enter some persons' nature and when they are called upon to do
their duty or pay the dues of Arab and His slaves, then these factors
adversely influence them. But this does not mean that miserliness is
tolerated and cowardice is a lesser evil.
How is " possible when non-payment of zakat and running away from jihad
are acts which touch the borderline of infidelity" (kufr),
The extent to which a liar and a defiant person may spread falsehood
and however wide this extent may be his sin before Allah will be to the
same extent. Journalists, who misguide the people by false news,
politicians who misrepresent important public problems and slaves of
selfishness who cast aspersions against eminent persons and ladies of
good character-all these sections commit terrible crimes and their
punishment is very severe.
Allah's Messenger said:
"One
night I saw two men. They came to me and said:' Any man whom you see
talking by widening his jaws, consider him a liar, He tells a lie which
is copied through his medium, till it is talked of in the whole world.
He goes on doing this till the Doomsday." (Fathul Bari)
Making false promises to their subjects by the rulers also comes in
this category, because the falsehood spoken from the pulpit spreads to
the four corners of the world.
It is in the Tradition that "Three persons can never enter Paradise.
First the old man who commits illegal sex, second the man who tells lies
and third that poor man who indulges in pride." (AI Bazzar)
To invent lies against Allah's religion is the worst evil. One who has
the slightest relation with Allah and His Messenger will never indulge
in this kind of activity.
This is the worst kind of liar, and the consequences which he will have to face are terrible.
The Prophet has said:
"The
consequence of inventing falsehood against me is not as bad as it is
for inventing falsehood against anybody. Let the man who purposely and
wittingly makes a false statement about me make his destination Hell."
(Bukhari)
In the list of false charges and accusations are included all those
inventions and absurdities which the uneducated have fabricated against
Allah's religion, which have no place in the faith. The general public
has taken them to be the religion though they have nothing to do with
it. In fact they are nothing but mere pastime and plaything.
Allah's Messenger has warned his followers against the sources of these
invented absurdities, has admonished them to be wary of adopting other
ways than those directed by the Quran and the Sunnah. He has said:
"In
the last period of my Ummah there will come people who will be
deceitful, liars. They will tell you things which you would never have
heard, nor have your forefathers heard them. Be wary of them; let them
not misguide you and let them not involve you in corruptions." (Muslim)
Accustom your Children to be Truthful
Islam commands that in the hearts of the children the seeds of the
greatness and importance of truth be sown, so that they may grow up and
develop on truth and may become young in its lap; and they may give it
its due place in their talks.
Abdullah Ibn A 'amir says that once my mother called me when the
Prophet was present in my house. My mother asked me to come and said
that she would give me a certain thing. He asked what did she want to
give? She said that she wanted to give me a date (fruit). The Prophet
said: " If you had not given him this date, then the committing of a
falsehood would have been entered into your record of deeds.". (Abu
Daud).
Abu Huraira says that the Prophet has said:
"Anybody who called a child saying that he would give him a certain thing, and did not give it, then it is a lie." (Ahmed)
It is worth noting that in what a wise way the Prophet has instructed
his followers to train their children in such a manner that they should
consider truth and straight dealing respectable things and should avoid
telling lies. Had the Prophet ignored these things and had not
emphatically reminded about them, then there was a danger that the
children on growing up would not have considered telling lies as sin.
Adoption of straight dealing and telling the truth has been very
strictly insisted upon, so much so that it has been enjoined upon to
take care about this in even small household matters.
Asma Binte Yazid narrates that she once asked the Messenger of Allah:
"If
some one of us women stated that she had no desire to have a certain
thing even though she had that desire, then would it be considered a lie
?" He replied: "Falsehood is written as falsehood, and a small
falsehood is written as a small falsehood." (Muslim)
Prohibited to tell a Lie even in a Joke
The Establisher of the Shariah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has warned
of all the occasions where falsehood can be used and the adverse
consequences of the same, so much so that it is not possible for even an
ordinary enforcer to misguide the people about the reality or to lessen
its importance. A man tends to make false statements in cutting jokes,
thinking that on the occasions of entertaining people there is nothing
wrong if baseless information is given or false and imaginary events are
related. But Islam, which considers providing relief to hearts as
permissible, has fixed only those methods proper and permissible which
are within that: limits of truth, because halal is much broader than
haram and that truth is independent of falsehood. Allah's Messenger has
said:
"Death
for the man who indulges in story-telling in order to make some people
laugh and for that he relies on falsehood. There is death for him, there
is destruction for him." (Tirmizi)
"I
give guarantee of a house in the middle of Paradise for the man who has
given up falsehood, though he was required to indulge in humour."
(Baihaqui)
The Prophet has said:
"A
Momin cannot have complete faith unless he gives up falsehood in his
jokes and debates though in all other matters he speaks the truth."
(Ahmed)
This is our daily observation that people give full rein to their
tongues in the matter of humorous talks to make others laugh, and do not
hesitate to spread the tales and stories invented by friends or foes
only for the purpose of getting some pleasure or for pulling some one's
leg, when the world has absolutely prohibited such a wrong policy, and
this is a fact that this kind of entertainment and amusements and false
acts create enmities and rivalries,
Avoid Exaggeration in Praise
Some peoples when they praise somebody, go to the extent of
exaggerating and making false statements, For a Muslim it is necessary
that when he praises somebody he should do it to the extent to which he
knows about that man, He should avoid exaggeration and falsehood in
showering praises of the praised one, although he may be deserving of
the praises, for exaggeration is a kind of falsehood which has been
forbidden,
To a person who was praising the Prophet, he said: "Do not indulge in
exaggeration while praising me, as the Christians did in the case of Ibn
Maryam (Christ). I am only a slave. So only say that he is a slave of
Allah and His Messenger." (Razin)
A group of such people is always found who lick the boots of the
leaders and rulers of the country and praise them to heaven, The main
purpose of their lives is to compose very lengthy panegyric poems or to
write long-drawn essays in praise of their benefactors, Thus they try to
make a mountain of the molehill and place an unknown person in the
palace of fame. Sometimes they do not even hesitate to call the tyrant
rulers as standard bearers of justice and coward and chicken hearted
soldiers as brave and lion-hearted fighters. Their only purpose in this
is to earn wealth. This is the worst kind of falsehood. Allah's
Messenger has counselled us to totally reject them and expose them till
they give up their wrong practices.
Abu Huraira says that the Prophet has commanded us that we should throw
dust in the face of those who indulge in exaggeration in their praises.
(Tirmizi)
The commentators have pointed out that the persons mentioned here are
those who make exaggeration as their habit and through this try to earn
gifts and presents from the praised ones but those persons who praise
the performers of good acts with a view to encouraging them and to
inciting others to follow their example are not meant.
The limits where a Muslim stops and which keep him distinct from the
bootlickers and the exaggerators are: that he praises his benefactor or a
good person, but he does not let him indulge in vanity and pride. These
limits have been clarified by the Prophet.
Hazrat Abu Bakr narrates that a man praised some one in the presence of Allah's Messenger and the Prophet told him:
"Fire
on you, you have separated the head of your companion," He repeated
these words and then said: "If some one wants to praise his brothers
then if he is aware of the facts then he should say that I think he is
such and such and Allah is the real Knower, and there is none purer and
innocent than Allah; I consider him bearer of these qualities."
(Bukhari)
Keep away from Falsehood and Deception In Trade
Traders make false statements while showing their wares and stating
their prices. The basis of trade in our midst is unlimited greed. The
shopkeeper desires that their should be dearness, while the buyer wants
to get the commodities free of charge. It is wealth which controls
activities of buying and selling in the markets and in different fields.
Islam hates this kind of deceptive affair and the senseless debate and
disputation latent in it, The Prophet has said: "The buyers and sellers
are free till they do not separate and if they have acted with honesty,
and have explained the defects of commodities, then Allah will bless
them with prosperity. And if both of them tried to deal dishonestly and
tried to
In another tradition it stated: "The prosperity of the dealing of both
the persons is terminated. The untrue and false oath will help get the
commodity sold, but it reduces the earning ." (Ahmed)
The buyers who go to the shopkeepers are mostly ignorant of the real
situation, and whatever the shopkeeper says they believe it, The honest
thing is not to take undue advantage of the simplicity of men for the
purpose of obtaining double price or for concealing the defects.
The Messenger of Allah has said :
"What
would be a greater dishonesty than this that when you are talking with
your brother he may be thinking that you are telling the truth whereas
you are deceiving him by telling lies." (Bukhari)
He has also said :
"It is not lawful for a Muslim to sell such a commodity that has a defect, except that the defect is shown to the buyer." (Bukhari)
Ibn Abi Adna narrates that a man opened a shop in the market and swore
that he would sell such a commodity as no one else would be selling, so
that he may deceive some Muslims; so the following verses were revealed:
"Verily,
those who sell the covenant with Allah and their oaths for a small
price, there is no compensation for them in the Hereafter. On the Day of
Judgment Allah will not speak to them, nor will He look at them, and
nor will He purify them; but for them is very severe punishment" (Baqarah)
Disregard of truth in giving evidence is the worst type of falsehood.
When a Muslim should stand up for giving evidence, he should state the
truth unhesitatingly; regardless of the fact whether it is against his
close friend or a favourite person. No relationship or prejudice should
deviate him from the right path, nor any greed or bribe should be able
to make him waver in his stand.
"O
You who believe I Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah,
even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it
be (against) rich or poor; for Allah can best protect both. Follow not
the lusts (ofyour heart), lest you swerve, and if you distort (justice)
or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted-with all that
you do." (Nissa: 135)
Hazrat Abu Bakr narrates Allah has stated:
"May
I not tell you the major sins ?" Three times he repeated the same
thing. We requested: "Why not O Messenger of Allah ?" He replied: "To
associate some one else with Allah, to disobey the parents and to murder
some one unjustly." He was leaning. Then he got up and said: "And to
tell lies and to give false evidence." He went on repeating it till we
said to ourselves it would be better if he were silent then." (Bukhari)
Trickery and deception is a falsehood which has layers and layers of
darkness. It does not only involve the concealment of truth but it also
tries to prove that the falsehood is truth. In some special matters it
harms only a few individuals but in public matters it becomes a severe
and deadly danger against the whole nation.
For this reason the Prophet has very bluntly and emphatically
counselled to keep away from it and bas warned against it.
Do not break your Promises
The traders and the industrialists particularly should take special
care to see that they keep their promises, that they are true to their
words and that they do not change their stand. It is a very sad state of
affairs that among the Muslims the tendency of breaking promises and
crossing the limits has become very common, when their religion has
termed the false promises as symbols of disruption.
The Messenger of Allah considered the words coming out from the mouth
as holy and the words that fell on his ears as Abdullah bin Abi Hama
says that he entered into a contract for the sale of a commodity with
the Prophet before he was blessed with prophet-hood, and some
commodities had remained to be sold. He promised to the prophet that he
would hand over a certain thing to him at a certain place. Then he
forgot all about this. After three days he remembered his promise and
went to the appointed place. He saw that the Prophet was present at the
spot. He only said this: "O young man! You worried me. I am waiting here
for you for the last three days ." (Abu Daud)
It is narrated that the Prophet had promised Jabir bin Abdullah that he
would give him some gifts from the stock of articles coming from
Bahrain, but before fulfilling this promise he died. When the stock from
Bahrain arrived at the place of the First Caliph, he caused an
announcement to be made in the public that anyone whom the Prophet might
have promised to give something from this stock or anyone who had lent
something to the Prophet should come to him and take away his due"
(Bukhari)
It is worth noting how the words are appraised and they are enforced,
so that they may not become worthless if left uncared for. False
promises do untold harm to the interests of the society. They cause
inconvenience to the people and waste time, Redeeming your pledges is a
commendable quality. Allah considers fulfilling of promises as one of
the attributes of prophet-hood:
"Also
mention in the Book (the story of) Ismail; he was true to what he
promised and he was a Messenger, Prophet. He used to enjoin on his
people prayer and charity and he was most acceptable in sight of the
Lord " (Maryam.. 54-55)
In these verses the order of the good qualities show what position the
quality of fulfilling of promises enjoys; and Ismail showed that he was
true to his word when his father told him that he saw a dream in which
he was slaughtering his son, Ismail, and asked him what he thought about
it. The son, who was true to his word, replied: "God willing, you will
find me patient and steadfast."
Sometimes man relies on falsehood when he commits a mistake, and he
wants to save himself from the bad consequences of that mistake. This is
very unwise and brings a bad name. It amounts to going from one evil to
another, which is worse than the first evil. It is necessary that man
should own his mistakes. It is likely that his truthfulness and his
sense of sorrow over his mistake may save him from the bad consequences
and he may be pardoned. When a Muslim senses some danger or is afraid to
speak the truth, it is proper that he should show courage and try to
avoid getting ensnared in the net of falsehood. Allah's Messenger has
said: " Adopt truth, even if you see your destruction in it, for the
(final) salvation is in it." (Ibn Abi-duniya) In another hadith it is
mentioned: "When a person tells a lie, the bad odour that emanates from
it keeps the angels one mile away." (Tirmizi)
Truth of Speech leads to Truth of Action
If a man is truthful and straight in his speech and dealings, then
inevitably there will be truthfulness and sincerity in his actions and
goodness and reform in his conditions. By adopting truthful and straight
methods in dealing with others, this light of truth also illuminates
man's heart and mind and their darkness also vanish:
"O
you who believe ! Fear Allah and (always) say a word directed to the
right;, that He may make your conduct whole and sound and forgive you
your sins ;. He that obeys Allah and His Messenger has already attained
the highest achievement." (Ahzab.. 70-71)
Right action is the desired actions about which there is no misgiving,
because it is the creation of certainty. There is no idea of defect in
that, because it is the companion of sincerity. There is no curve in it,
because its source is truth. The success of the communities and nations
in the matter of conveying their message depends on the fact that the
bearers of the message must be performers of right action, If they have
an abundant record of right and truthful action, then they can reach the
zenith of success and glory, otherwise they swerve from their
destination in the way, for mere idleness, senseless activities, slogan
shouting and self-praise would not be of any use. Allah's Messenger has
said:
"Adopt
truth, for truth shows the path of righteousness, and righteousness
shows the path to Paradise. A man speaks the truth regularly and adopts
truthful ways till he is recorded as a truthful person before Allah;
and keep away from falsehood, for falsehood leads to wickedness, and
wickedness throws in the Hell, A person tells lies regularly and
attaches himself to falsehood till he is recorded as a liar before
Allah," (Fathul Bari)
Evil and wickedness towards which the habit of telling lies leads is
the last stage of the destruction of self and the lowness of faith.
Imam Malik has reported about the hadith narrated by Ibn Masood: " A
person regularly tells lies and adopts falsehood (as his policy), till a
black point is imprinted in his heart, and slowly and slowly the whole
heart becomes black. At that time his name is entered in the list of
liars before Allah."
Allah has stated in Quran :
"It is those who believe not in the Signs of Allah that forge falsehood, it is they who lie." (Nahl: 105)
Righteousness whose path is shown by truth is the highest peak of
goodness to which only men of high determination can reach. In this
connection the following verses of the holy Quran would suffice:
"It
is no virtue that you turn your face to the East and the West, but
virtue is that one should believe in Allah, and the Last Day and the
angels and the prophets; and spend out of love for Him his wealth on
relatives and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and on those who
ask and for ransom of the slaves and establish salat and pay zakat. And
those who fulfil the pledges they make and steadfast In adversity and
affliction and In times of struggle, such are the people as are truthful
and Godfearing." (Baqarah: 177)
Taken from: http://archive.islamkashmir.org/radiant-reality
Taken from: http://archive.islamkashmir.org/radiant-reality
Categories:
0 comments:
Post a Comment