and the praise accorded to the siddīq (1) (*who affirmed the prophets as truthful is not merely for his being truthful, but for his affirmation of the prophets’ truthfulness. His affirmation) * (2) of the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—is a particular kind of truthfulness. Praise for this affirmation—which is a particular kind of truthfulness—is one thing, while praise simply for his being truthful is another. Thus, every siddīq is truthful, but not everyone who is truthful is a siddīq.

In the two Sahih collections, [from Ibn Masūd] (3), it is reported that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—said:

“You must adhere to truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man continues to speak the truth and strives to be truthful until he is recorded with Allah as a siddīq. Beware of lying, for lying leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Fire. A man continues to lie and strives to tell lies until he is recorded with Allah as a habitual liar.” (4)

The term siddīq may mean one who is consummate in truthfulness, or one who is consummate in affirming the truth. The excellence of the siddīq does not consist merely in the scrupulous pursuit (5)