Exhorting Truthfulness!!Khutbah from Madinah!!

Exhorting Truthfulness

Khateeb’s Name:'Ali Al-Huthayfi

Edited By:Nasim Chowdhury


الحث على الصدق

Summary
1) People’s ranks differ according to their faith and conduct
2) The different levels of good and bad deeds
3) The virtue of truthfulness
4) Real truthfulness is in words and actions
5) Truthfulness is the foundation of faith
6) The worst type of lying

First Khutbah

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah by abiding by His commandments and abstaining from all His prohibitions, for fear of Allaah is the gateway to all good while disobedience and sin is the gateway to all evil. Be aware that one’s standing with his Lord depends on his faith and conduct and that man’s value before Allaah and His slaves depends on his faith and good deeds, and not on his wealth and strength, for Allaah says that which means: “And it is not your wealth or your children that bring you nearer to Us in position, but it is [by being] one who has believed and done righteousness. For them there will be the double reward for what they did, and they will be in the upper chambers [of Paradise], safe [and secure].” (Saba’: 37).

Good deeds are superior to one another in reward, and likewise, commendable characteristics outweigh one another in virtuousness and degree in accordance with their general usefulness to their possessor and to mankind. Equally, evil deeds and deplorable characteristics increase their owners in punishment and torment according to their harm. Allaah says that which means: “And for all there are degrees [of reward and punishment] for what they have done, and [it is] so that He [i.e., Allaah] may fully compensate them for their deeds, and they will not be wronged.” (Al-Ahqaaf: 19).

Truthfulness is a noble character that can only be possessed by people with sound hearts. Allaah enjoins it in His Book when He says that which means: “O you who have believed! Fear Allaah and be with those who are true.” (At-Tawbah: 119).

Truthfulness reveals a persons sound upbringing, pure mind and good nature, while lying exposes a filthy mind and evil conduct. Truth is a saviour of a person while lying is a destroyer. The truth is admired and loved both by one's nature and intellect. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam enjoined speaking the truth when he said: "Be truthful for truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. If a person tells the truth and nothing but the truth, he will be registered with Allaah as a truthful person. Beware of lying, for lying leads to sinfulness and sinfulness leads to Hell. If a person tells lies and nothing but lies, he will be registered with Allaah as a liar.” (Bukhaari & Muslim).

Allaah promises a great reward for truthfulness in this world and the next. In this world, Allaah provides for those who are truthful a good standing as well as the love of Allaah and His creatures; a truthful person's words will be valued, people will feel safe with him and from his evil deeds and he will be fair to himself and others. He will also be saved from the evils and calamities that afflict the liars. He will have peace of mind with no fears or worries. Hasan ibn 'Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him and his father, narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam saying: “Leave that which is ambiguous to you and take that which you are sure of. Truthfulness is tranquillity while lying is ambiguity.” (At-Tirmithi).

A truthful persons end in this life is always a good one, as was indicated in the Hadeeth of Ka’b ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, when he was absent from the Battle of Tabook. He said: "I told the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam: 'O Messenger of Allaah! I swear by Allaah that if I were to be addressing any other powerful person in this world, I would have escaped his wrath by proffering any excuse for I am an expert in argumentation, but I swear by Allaah that I know that if I tell you a lie today in order to win your pleasure, Allaah might cause you to be angry with me; but if I tell you the truth and you become angry with me, my hope is that Allaah will therefore pardon me in the end (as a result of my truthfulness).’ (Bukhaari & Muslim).

As for the reward of truthfulness in the Hereafter, it is the pleasure of Allaah and a high degree in Paradise, in which there are pleasures which no eyes have seen, no ears have heard and no heart has ever contemplated. In the Qur’aan Allaah says that which means: “Allaah will say: 'This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness.' For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allaah being pleased with them, and they with Him. That is the great attainment.” (Al-Maa’idah: 119).

Brothers in faith! What is essence of this truthfulness for which Allaah promises the greatest reward and salvation from torment? Truthfulness means to be sincere in words and deeds; it also means conveying the message of Allaah and His Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam to mankind, to enjoin truthfulness, forbid falsehood and to state that which is concordant with reality. Allaah says that which means: “And the one who has brought the truth [i.e., the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam] and [they who] believed in it – those are the righteous.” (Az-Zumar: 33).

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: “The true believer is the one who when he speaks, he speaks the truth and when he is informed, he believes.”

Truthfulness in deeds is to worship Allaah with sincere intention, honesty, love and certainty; to abide by the way of Allaah's Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and to deal with His creation with sincerity, compassion and honesty. Allaah says that which means: “Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allaah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives Zakah; [those who] fulfil their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle.

Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous” (Al-Baqarah: 177) and also: “Among the believers are men true to what they promised Allaah. Among them is he who has fulfilled his vow [to the death], and among them is he who awaits [his chance]. And they did not alter [the terms of their commitment] by any alteration.” (Al-Ahzaab: 23).

Further, the origin of faith is truthfulness and belief and we can therefore correctly state that truthfulness can be in sayings and deeds. Our righteous predecessors were the foremost adherents to the truth among all people in their relationship with their Lord and fellow humans; Sa’d ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “I once said to the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam: ‘O Messenger of Allaah! Allaah saved me through truthfulness and it is part of my repentance that I will never lie again for the rest of my life.’ I swear by Allaah that I have never seen anybody whose truthfulness in speech was tested by Allaah more than mine was (after that oath). I swear by Allaah that I have never intentionally lied since that day and I hope that Allaah will protect me from lying for the rest of my life.” (Al-Bukhaari & Muslim).

Also, Allaah ascribed truthfulness to the emigrants to Madeenah when He says that which means: “For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their properties, seeking bounty from Allaah and [His] approval and supporting Allaah and His Messenger, [there is also a share of property]. Those are the truthful.” (Al-Hashr: 8).

Second Khutbah

Brothers in Islaam! Fear Allaah, obey Him and seek nearness to Him with all that which pleases Him.

Fellow Muslims! Truth is behaviour that Allaah and His Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam love. It is a characteristic whose virtues are recognised by all who are reasonable and wise. The Prophet of mercy sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam called for truthfulness along with the sincere worship of Allaah from the very beginning of his mission; Abu Sufyaan, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that Heraclius the Roman Emperor asked about the Messenger of Allaah: "What does he command you to do?" So Abu Sufyaan, may Allaah be pleased with him, replied: "He says: Worship Allaah alone and associate nothing with Him, and abandon the statements of your forefathers. He also commanded us to pray, be truthful, remain chaste and be kind to our kith and kin." (Al-Bukhaari).

Allaah says that which means: “Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allaah often and the women who do so – for them Allaah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.” (Al-Ahzaab: 35).

Therefore, endeavour to be among those who are truthful in their speech and deeds, for truthfulness is one of the gateways to Paradise. Truthfulness does not bring about early death, nor does it prevent wealth or ruin one’s interests.

Brothers in faith! It is part of truthfulness to keep away from treachery and deceit and the worst form of lying is to lie about Allaah; also, another of the worst forms of lying is to lie about Islaam by ascribing to it that which it is free from, such as aggression and injustice, for Islaam is the religion of mercy and compassion.

Allaah says that which means: “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” Islaam is the religion of justice, equity and kindness, as Allaah says that which means: “Indeed, Allaah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression...” (An-Nahl: 90). Islaam is the religion of trustworthiness and sincerity, as Allaah says that which means: “Indeed Allaah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice.” (An-Nisaa’: 58).

Therefore, it is extremely disheartening that the religion of Islaam is now being afflicted with those who invent a catalogue of lies and attribute them to Islaam. In this age, aggression, oppression and vandalism are wrongly and mischievously attributed to Islaam while Islaam with its pure teachings, noble laws and mercifully perfect injunctions condemns, opposes and prevents aggression, injustice, and mischief that are aimed at innocent people whether Muslims or otherwise, as Allaah says that which means: “…But do not commit aggression. Indeed Allaah does not like aggressors.” (Al-Baqarah: 190).

Therefore, Islaam is the religion of truth that enjoins all which is good and forbids all that is evil and harmful to mankind.