- Chapter: Truthfulness
Allah the Exalted says, “O you who believe, fear Allah and be with the truthful” (al-Tawbah: 119); He also says, “the truthful men and the truthful women” (al-Aḥzāb: 35); and He says, “Had they been true to Allah, it would have been better for them” (Muḥammad: 21).
[Explanation]
The author—may Allah have mercy on him—entitles this section “Chapter on Truthfulness.”
Truthfulness in its original sense is for a statement to correspond to reality; it applies to reports. When you relate something and your report accords with the facts, it is called true. For example, if you say about this day, “Today is Sunday,” that is a true report, because today is Sunday. But if you say, “Today is Monday,” that report is false.
Therefore, when a report matches reality it is truth, and when it contradicts reality it is falsehood. Just as truthfulness exists in words, it also exists in deeds.
Truthfulness in deeds means that a person’s inner state agrees with his outward appearance, so that when he performs an action it reflects what is in his heart.
The person who shows off in worship is not truthful, for he presents himself to people as one of the devout while he is not.
One who associates partners with Allah is not truthful, for he presents himself as a monotheist while that is not the case.
And the hypocrite is not truthful, because he outwardly displays faith while he is not truly a believer.