Islam Made Simple
Dr Osama Al-Azhari
Minister of Awqaf (Charitable Endowments)
Ladies and gentlemen, the great people of Egypt, daughters and sons of the Arab and Muslim nations – welcome to a new journey with the Ever-Glorious Qur’an. Today, we are to explore the eleventh part of the Qur’an. We seek to sail through it to harvest its pearls, treasures, and the gems of values that Allah Almighty has placed within it, laden with knowledge, light, and wisdom.
To begin, let us agree that the eleventh part of the Ever-Glorious Qur’an is all about ‘truthfulness’, as it contains a number of stories, Quranic passages, and verses that revolve around and reiterate the theme and value of truthfulness. Therefore, let us pause at the first passage I want to reflect upon today from this part. I have selected for you a number of values and meanings that all relate to the central theme of truthfulness.
From the value of truthfulness, we can derive many other profound values.
The first of these values is represented in this advice: ‘Be with the truthful!’ This is the lesson drawn from the words of Allah Almighty: “O you who have believed, be pious to Allah and be with the sincere.” [Qur’an 9: 119]. Its meaning is that you, mankind, are in need of someone to return to for refuge, to seek help from, and to flee to in times of hardship. You are in need of the greatest school of values and morals – the school that allows you to absorb the meanings of values and manners without the need for much words.
Be with the truthful, O human being – live among them, accompany them, observe their manners, and how they react in different situations. Reflect on the honesty of their speech, the sincerity of their expression, their genuine feelings, and their truthful reactions.
And remember that Allah Almighty says: “O you who have believed, be pious to Allah and be with the sincere.” [Qur’an 9: 119]. For the greatest gateway of education and teaching, and the transmission of morals from one generation to another is for a person to be among the truthful.
Then we move to the second value, which is: Let truthfulness be a way of life – in heart and speech, in one’s inward and outward conduct.
This value becomes apparent when we move from the end of Surah al-Tawbah to Surah Yūnus, where Allah Almighty says: “Was it a wonder to mankind that We revealed to a man from (among) them, (saying), “Warn mankind and give good tidings to the ones who have believed that they have a sure footing (Literally: a sincere footing) in the Providence of their Lord?” [Qur’an 10: 2].
What is the meaning of “a footing of truth (qadam sidq)”? It means that a person becomes accustomed to taking no step and making no movement except with truthfulness. A person can only be saved through a truthful foot and a truthful tongue. The Ever-Glorious Qur’an links several concepts to truthfulness, and here is an example:
A “truthful footing” means not taking a step except towards goodness.
A “truthful tongue” means speaking nothing but the truth.
A “truthful entrance” means that one’s beginning is sincere.
A “truthful exit” means that one’s ending is sincere.
And a “truthful dwelling” means residing in a place filled with truth.
Now, reflect with me on the words of the Almighty: “Surely the pious will (dwell) among Gardens and Rivers, In (secure) seat (s) of Sincerity, in the Providence of a Supreme Determiner, an Ever-Pervading King.” [Qur’an 54: 54-55].
Then we come to the third value: truthfulness saves you – and here is a beautiful story that illustrates this. It is the story of Imam al-Sha῾rānī with his teacher,
Sheikh Ali al-Khawwāṣ, which provides us with a profound lesson about
the importance of truthfulness.
Sheikh Ali al-Khawas was one of ’Awliyā’ (the pious worshippers) of Allah Almighty and worked as a weaver of palm fronds. One day, a man came to him running in fear and panic, gasping for breath, and said, “My master, please hide me! They are chasing me!”
The Sheikh calmly said to him, “Enter my house and hide behind the door.” Moments later, the pursuers arrived, asking the Sheikh, “Have you seen a man running this way?” The Sheikh replied truthfully, “Yes, he is behind the door!”
Amazingly, the men did not believe him. They assumed he was trying to mislead them and delay their pursuit by pointing them to a place where the man wasn’t, thinking the man had continued running. So they left to search elsewhere – and the man was saved.
When the man came out, astonished, he said, “How could you hand me over to them when you were supposed to protect me?” The Sheikh replied, “My son, it was my truthfulness that saved you.”
Truthfulness is the path to salvation, even when we might think it could harm us – for Allah Almighty is capable of all things and holds control over every heart and sight. Therefore, we must always seek truthfulness in our words and actions, for as the Prophet (PBUH) taught us: “Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise; and a person will continue to speak the truth and pursue truthfulness until he is recorded with Allah as a sincere one (ṣiddīq).”
May Allah adorn us and you with truthfulness – in our states and outcomes, in this life and the hereafter.
Until we meet again, stay noble, stay safe.
