that they had stayed behind without any legitimate excuse. The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—thereupon suspended judgment on them for fifty nights, “until the earth, vast as it is, felt narrow to them, and their own souls constricted, and they realized that there is no refuge from Allah except in Him” (al-Tawbah: 118). Then Allah accepted their repentance.

He subsequently revealed: “O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with the truthful” (al-Tawbah: 119). Thus Allah commanded the believers to fear Him and to side with the truthful, not with the liars.

Allah, exalted is He, also says: “the men who are truthful and the women who are truthful” (al-Ahzab: 35). This appears in the lengthy verse of Surah al-Ahzab that begins, “Surely the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women…” and continues until, “the men who are truthful and the women who are truthful,” concluding with, “Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a tremendous reward” (al-Ahzab: 35).

Here Allah praises the truthful men and women and highlights the great recompense awaiting them.

He, Most High, further states: “Had they been true to Allah, it would have been better for them.” In other words, had they dealt with Allah truthfully, it would have been to their benefit. Instead, they dealt with Him falsely, fell into hypocrisy, and presented an outward show at odds with what lay in their hearts. They lied to the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—pretending to follow him while actually opposing him. If they had been sincere with Allah in their hearts, deeds, and words, it would have been better for them; but because they lied to Allah, it became a source of harm.

Allah also says: “so that Allah may reward the truthful for their truthfulness and punish the hypocrites if He wills, or turn to them in mercy” (al-Ahzab: 24)—“so that Allah may reward the truthful for their truthfulness.”