Good Character -- Truthfulness

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم 

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate 

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam

If I was introducing the Quran, I have to look at myself first and say, "Am I a credible presenter of the Quran? Do I embody at least some of the things that the Quran tries to teach us?" This is because the Quran can be a proof for you or a proof against you. There will be people who recite the Quran and they are actually reciting against themselves, not for themselves. The meaning here is that they are not living up to what the Quran is asking them, what Allah wants them to do. The biggest detested thing to Allah is to say what you do not do.

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٢

O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? (2) [Quran, As-Saff 61:2]

It is important to understand that the transmitted sciences, rational sciences, scientific knowledge are tools to ultimately prepare us for the ultimate knowledge, which is the knowledge of Allah. This inheritance is vast and you can take as much as you can carry. It is not like the inheritors of faraid (inheritance) and wealth. Anyone can take this inheritance as much as he wants, regardless of age, color, race, economic status, strength, size, etc. The inheritance of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam is for everybody and it is waiting for you.

From this inheritance is the khuluq (character) of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam). It is his khuluq that Allah praised him.

وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ

And indeed, you are of a great moral character. (4) [Qur'an, Al-Qalam 68:4]

This should be what people should associate you, as Muslims, with--not your beards, turbans, thawbs, hijabs, niqabs, jilbabs, not the fact that you don't eat pork nor drink (intoxicates), not the fact that you don't eat and drink in Ramadhan, etc. When people say "Muslims", it is good character.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam defines what character is. If you want to see Quran embodied in one individual human being in a manner that never be embodied by anyone else, you should look at the Prophet's character. The character of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam is beyond anything that we can imagine. Just by attempting to be like him, we reach the best that is in us. From that character was his honor and his love for his family and relatives.

'Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked about the character of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam and she replied, "Didn't you read the Quran? His character was the Quran."

Good character will make you beloved by Allah and beloved by people. One of the greatest of those characters is truthfulness.

In fact truthfulness is so transformative that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:

Adhere to truth, for truth leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise, and a person continues to speak the truth and makes truth their object until they are recorded as truthful before Allah. And beware of lying, for lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to Hell, and a person continues to lie and makes falsehood his object until they are recorded as a liar before Allah. (Bukhari and Muslim)

Truthfulness with Allah leads to sincere worship and repentance.
Truthfulness with yourself leads to humility.
Truthfulness with others leads to righteousness and their love.
Truthfulness leads to paradise.

Let’s commit to truthfulness in this new year. 

Even simple things like when someone is waiting for you and asking you where you are, don't say OTW (on the way) when you are not actually OTW. Don't think this is a small matter just because you normally can get away with it. A lie is still a lie, no matter how inconsequential you might think. You are clearly lying if you say OTW while you are still in the house. Instead, why not be clear as to where you are and the approximate time you will be at the meeting place? 

May Allah make us of truthful people. Aameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam. 

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all. 

Wassalaam