TRUTHFULNESS
As has been related the Holy Prophetsa was himself so rigid in his standards of truthfulness that he was known among his people as “The Trusty” and “The True”. He was equally anxious that Muslims should adopt the same standards of truth as were observed by himself. He regarded truth as the basis of all virtue, goodness and right conduct. He taught that a truthful person is one who is so confirmed in truth that he is counted truthful by God.
On one occasion a prisoner was brought to the Holy Prophetsa who had been guilty of the murder of many Muslims. ‘Umarra, who was also present, believed that the man richly deserved the imposition of the death penalty and he looked repeatedly at the Prophetsa expecting that the Prophetsa would at any moment indicate that the man should be put to death. After the Holy Prophetsa had dismissed the man ‘Umarra submitted that he should have been put to death as that was the only appropriate penalty. The Prophetsa replied: “If that is so, why did you not kill him?” ‘Umarra replied: “O Messenger of Allahsa! if you had but given me an indication even by a flicker of your eyelids, I would have done so.” To this the Prophetsa rejoined: “A Prophetsa does not act equivocally. How could I have employed my eye to indicate the imposition of a death penalty upon the man while my tongue was employed in talking amicably to him?” (Hisham, Vol. 2, p. 217).
A man once came to the Holy Prophetsa and said: “O Messengersa of Allah! I suffer from three evils: falsehood, indulgence in strong drinks and fornication. I have tried my utmost to get rid of them but have not succeeded. Will you tell me what to do? ” The Prophetsa replied: “If you make a firm promise to me to give up one of them I guarantee that you will be rid of the other two.” The man promised and asked the Prophetsa to tell him which of the three he should give up.
The Prophetsa said: “Give up falsehood.” Some time later the man came back and told the Holy Prophetsa that, having followed his advice, he was now free from all three vices. The Prophetsa asked him for the details of his struggle and the man said: “One day I wanted to indulge in liquor and was about to do so when I bethought myself of my promise to you and realized that if any of my friends asked me whether I had taken liquor, I would have to admit it as I could no longer utter a falsehood. This would mean that I would acquire an evil reputation among my friends and they would in future avoid me.
Thinking thus, I persuaded myself to postpone drinking to some later occasion and was able to withstand the temptation at the time. In the same way when I found myself inclined towards fornication I argued with myself that indulgence in the vice would expose me to the loss of the esteem of my friends as I would either have to tell a falsehood if questioned by them, thus breaking my promise to you, or I would have to admit my sin. In this way I continued to struggle between my resolve to fulfil my promise to you and my desire to indulge in liquor and in adultery. When some time had passed I began to lose the inclination to indulge in these vices and the resolve to keep away from falsehood has now saved me from the other two also.”
(Source: Life of Muhammad(pbuh) by Hadrat Mirza Bashiruddin Mahmud Ahmad)
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