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Truthfulness is a shining jewel. It cleans the heart, removes darkness from character, and gives peace to the soul. Truth is not just speaking true words. It is a complete way of life. It makes a person’s inside pure, his outside respectful, his thinking strong, and his actions trustworthy.
History shows that those holy people who adopted truthfulness, honesty, and sincerity, still rule over hearts. Their greatness was not only because of their high status, but because they practiced what they preached.
Among those great personalities is Huzoor Ghaus-e-Āzam Sayyiduna Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (Alaihir Rahmah).
His life is a shining example of knowledge, piety, sincerity, and truthfulness. His life teaches us that the path of truth may be difficult, but its end is honour, peace of mind, and the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala.
Islam has not just called truth a good habit, but a basic requirement of faith. Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Qurān,
یٰاَیُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَ كُوْنُوْا مَعَ الصّٰدِقِیْنَ
O believers! Fear Allah and be with the truthful ones.
{Holy Qurān, 9:119}
This verse tells us a complete rule of life. To build our character, we must fear Allah Ta’ala and stay with truthful people.
Truth does not only mean not telling a lie about an event. It means sincerity in intention, loyalty in promises, honesty in dealings, and steadiness in actions. One’s external state should not contradict one’s internal state.
Allah Ta’ala further states in the Holy Qurān,
قَالَ اللّٰهُ هٰذَا یَوْمُ یَنْفَعُ الصّٰدِقِیْنَ صِدْقُهُمْ ؕ
Allah said, “This (Qiyāmah) is a Day on which the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness.”
{Holy Qurān, 5:119}
This verse reminds us that a day will come when money and status will not help. Only faith, truth, and good deeds will help.
Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is the best example of truth and honesty. Even before the declaration of Prophethood, the people of Makkah called him As-Sādiq (The Truthful) and Al-Amīn (The Trustworthy).
Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said,
إِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ، وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ
Indeed truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise.
{Sahih Bukhāri}
This short Hadith has great wisdom. Truth leads to goodness, and goodness leads to Jannah. And lies slowly takes a person towards wickedness and bad character, which eventually leads a person to the fire of Jahannam.
Truth is not just a personal quality, it is the foundation of society. Where there is truth, there is trust. Where there is honesty, there is blessings in business.
Huzoor Ghaus-e-Āzam (Alaihir Rahmah) is one of the great figures of Islamic history. He studied in Baghdad and spent his life in teaching, worship, and reforming people. His main message was that if knowledge does not come into character, it has no effect. If worship has no sincerity, it loses its soul.
It is a well-known narration that when Huzoor Ghaus-e-Azam (Alaihir Rahmah) was young, he travelled to Baghdad to seek knowledge. At that time, his respected mother gave him forty dinars and sewed them inside his clothes. She advised him, “My son! Never tell a lie in your life.” This was a small advice, but it had a whole world of training in it. He kept this promise in his heart.
During the journey, robbers attacked the caravan and were looting the travellers. One robber asked him, “What do you have?” He truthfully replied, “I have forty dinars sewn inside my clothes.” The robber thought it was a joke, but when they checked, they found the money. He was taken to the leader of the robbers. The leader asked, “Why did you tell the truth? You could have remained silent and saved your money.” He replied, “I promised my mother that I will always speak the truth, and I cannot break my promise.”
These were not just words of a child, it was a strike of truth that broke the shackles of heedlessness. The leader thought, “A small boy can risk his money for a promise to his mother, but I am breaking the orders of Allah Ta’ala and looting people.”
According to the narration, this feeling made him regretful and he repented. And with him, his companions also repented. {Qalāid-ul-Jawāhir}
This story shows that truth can have an effect where fear and greed are dominant. One true act opened the door of self-accountability. This story teaches us that the real test of truth is when you have to choose between benefit and principle, between right and wrong. The person who holds onto truth at that moment makes his character strong.
The life of Huzoor Ghaus-e-Āzam (Alaihir Rahmah) tells us that truth should not be limited to the tongue only. If a person speaks the truth but cheats in dealings, breaks promises, and is dishonest in trust, then his truthfulness is not complete.
Real truthfulness is that a person’s words and actions are aligned.
- For a student, truthfulness means avoiding cheating.
- For a teacher, truthfulness means doing his duty with honesty.
- For a trader, truthfulness means not deceiving in buying and selling.
- For a leader, truthfulness means considering his power as a trust from Allah Ta’ala and conducting himself with justice and honesty.
- For a religious scholar, truthfulness is that he should not attribute anything to religion without research.
Today, man has many resources for progress, but he faces moral challenges. False claims, cheating, breaking promises, and spreading false news have damaged trust in society. Some people think lying for temporary benefit is a small thing, but every lie makes one’s character weak.
In such an environment, the life of Huzoor Ghaus-e-Āzam (Alaihir Rahmah) reminds us that real success is not achieved through cheating, but through honesty, hard work, and righteousness. Real honour is not temporary praise from people, but strength of character. We should not make truth only a topic of speeches and articles, but we should apply it in our daily life. We should learn to accept our mistakes, keep our promises, return trusts, care for the rights of others, and prefer truth over our own benefit.
Remember! Truth may sometimes cause temporary loss, but ultimately results in success. A lie may result in temporary gain but will ultimately lead to loss, and takes away that trust which takes years to build. A truthful person may face trials, but his conscience remains clear, and this is one of the greatest wealths of human life.
And the life of Huzoor Ghaus-e-Āzam (Alaihir Rahmah) teaches us truthfulness, sincerity, loyalty, and good character, which every era and every society needs. The commandment of the Holy Qurān, the teachings of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), and the practical life of the saints all guide us to make truthfulness the principle of our life.
As Allamah Dr. Iqbal says,
سبق پھر پڑھ صداقت کا، عدالت کا، شجاعت کا
لیا جائے گا تجھ سے کام دنیا کی امامت کا
Learn once more the lesson of truthfulness, justice, and courage
You shall be called upon to lead the world
True love for a saint is not just to mention him, but to adorn our lives with his teachings. If we love Huzoor Ghaus-e-Āzam (Alaihir Rahmah), our tongue should be truthful, our dealings should be honest, our promises should be faithful, and our actions should show sincerity.
May Allah Ta’ala grant us truthfulness in speech, purity of heart, righteousness in deeds, and give us the ability to follow the Holy Qurān and the sacred Sunnah of Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
آمین بِجَاہِ سَیِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِیْن ﷺ