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Weekly Blog #8
Sept 27, 2021 – Oct 3, 2021
Safar 20, 1443 – Safar 26, 1443

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Honesty

What have Allah and His Messenger said about

Honesty

قالَ اللَّهُ هٰذا يَومُ يَنفَعُ الصّادِقينَ صِدقُهُم ۚ لَهُم جَنّاتٌ تَجري مِن تَحتِهَا الأَنهارُ خالِدينَ فيها أَبَدًا ۚ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنهُم وَرَضوا عَنهُ ۚ ذٰلِكَ الفَوزُ العَظيمُ
Allah will say, ‘This day truthfulness shall benefit the truthful. For them there will be gardens with streams running in them, to remain in them forever. Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. That is the great success.’
Surah Al-Maaidah-Ayah:119
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَصْدُقُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الصِّدْقَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ صِدِّيقًا وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَكْذِبُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الْكَذِبَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَذَّابًا
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “You must be truthful. Verily, truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man continues to be truthful and encourages honesty until he is recorded with Allah as truthful. And beware of falsehood. Verily, falsehood leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the Hellfire. A man continues tell lies and encourages falsehood until he is recorded with Allah as a liar
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6094
What is Sidq ?
Verse 119 opens with the words: قالَ اللَّهُ هٰذا يَومُ يَنفَعُ الصّادِقينَ صِدقُهُم (Allah said, “This is a day the truth of the truthful shall bring benefit to them). Generally, what is according to what has happened is called truth while that which is not according to what has happened is referred to as false or a lie. But, according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, sidq (truth) and kidhb (lie) are general, that is, they refer to both words and deeds.
[Above section taken from Maarif ul Quran]


The Importance of Honesty
Honesty is the greatest moral virtue. From honesty springs forth many of the most noble of human qualities and characteristics. Truthfulness and honesty are two characteristics without which a man can not claim himself to be a true Muslim. Honesty is an extensive term that covers a wide range of meanings. It covers telling the truth, sincerity in work, carrying out duties, fulfilling one’s word, and making fair and objective judgments and decisions. Honesty also means doing the right thing in the right way at the right time. Honesty means saying and acting truthfully in all times, matters, and conditions. Honesty means giving the right guidance to the person who needs it. Islam orders us as Muslims to be honest to others and ourselves. A Muslim is ordered by Allah to be honest in his words and deeds, in private and public. Being honest and truthful to oneself is implied by obeying Allah’s law. Being truthful with others means saying the truth and being honest in all dealings including the realm of trade and business, purchasing, education, learning, communication, and marriage. A true Muslim is the one who could be distinguished by his essential characteristics of honesty and truthfulness. Honesty in Islam consolidates the notions of truthfulness and dependability, and it lives in all human words, thoughts, relations, and actions. “O you who have believed fear Allah and be with those who are true.” [Chapter 9 verse 119]

Ibn Katheer, the renowned scholar of the meanings of the Holy Qur’an illustrated the significance of this verse. He was reported to have said, “Being truthful and sticking to truthfulness implies you will be among the people of the truth and be safeguarded from calamity and that it will make a way out for you from your tribulations.” Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the best example for all Muslims at all times and in all situations. He was a flawless case of honesty in Islam and before his prophethood, people of Makkah named the Prophet (peace be upon him) as the honest and truthful (Al-Amin and As-Sadiq). Even Abu Sufyan, an adversary of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the beginning of the Prophet’s call, admitted the prophet’s honesty. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent a letter to Heraclius the Emperor of Byzantium welcoming him to Islam, Heraclius sent for Abu Sufyan to ask about Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) and what this prophet was calling the people to. Aby Sufyan said, “He never tells lies or deceives others. He invites the people to love Allah Alone and he advises us to fear Allah, and he calls the people to honesty and abstinence”.

[The above sections were adapted from saudigazette.com]
The Benefits of Honesty
It is of the mannerism of the high path of Islam to be honest when one speaks. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Honesty certainly leads to goodness, and goodness leads to paradise. Truly, a man keeps speaking the truth until he is inscribed as being true through and through. And lying leads to going wrong, and going wrong leads to hell. Truly, a man lies and lies until he is inscribed as being a liar through and through” (Bukhari and Muslim). Fasting is one way that Muslims practice their honesty with their Lord and with themselves. A fasting Muslim does not allow a drop of water to go into his mouth because he has learned to be honest. It is also obligatory for us to be honest in making and keeping promises. Being punctual and not to waste is another instance of honesty. Punctuality at school, at work, or at an agreed meeting is part of our honesty with ourselves and other people.

Honesty fosters constructive courage, which is doing what you know you want or need to do, despite your fear. Being honest with yourself and with others shows how much you really care and demonstrates self-respect and respect for others. Honesty fosters a connection and can bring people closer in their interactions. Honesty attracts honesty. If honesty becomes an unconscious habit, one becomes magnetized to other honest people. One can dig himself deeper into a hole with lies and deceit, however being honest keeps you out of trouble, guides one always in the right track especially when one fears the anticipated consequences. Honesty, is an essential characteristic of a Muslim, includes being truthful towards Allah by worshipping Him sincerely; being truthful to oneself, by adhering to Allah’s laws; and being truthful with others by speaking the truth and being honest in all dealings. Thus, a person should be the same on the inside as he is on the outside. A true Islamic society is based upon honesty and justice, and is intolerant of dishonesty in all its various forms.

A Muslim seeking to please Allah and follow the path of righteousness should be aware of the dangers of deceit and dishonesty. However, equally he should know that Allah is all Merciful, willing to forgive even the gravest sins for those who strive for His sake. Honesty is very important in the life of a believer. “Honesty descended from the Heavens and settled in the roots of the hearts of men (faithful believers), and then the Quran was revealed and the people read the Quran, (and learnt it from it) and also learnt from the sayings and traditions. Both the Qur’an and the traditions strengthened their honesty.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari) So, Islam instructs the Muslim to be honest and trains him to be so. The outcome is a healthy self and a healthy social atmosphere that leads to the happiness of both the individual and the community.

[The above sections were adapted from saudigazette.com]

Spiritual Reminders

A Beautiful Story of a Sahabi Demonstrating the Power and Benefits of Honesty
Ka’b b. Malik said:
I never remained behind Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) from any expedition which he undertook except the Battle of Tabuk and that of the Battle of Badr. So far as the Battle of Badr is concerned, nobody was blamed for remaining behind as Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and the Muslims (did not set out for attack but for waylaying) the caravan of the Quraish, but it was Allah Who made them confront their enemies without their intention (to do so). I had the honor to be with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) on the night of ‘Aqaba when we pledged our allegiance to Islam and it was more dear to me than my participation in the Battle of Badr, although Badr was more popular amongst people as compared with that (Tabuk). And this is my story of remaining back from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) on the occasion of the Battle of Tabuk. Never did I possess means enough and (my circumstances) more favorable than at the occasion of this expedition. And, by Allah, I had never before this expedition simultaneously in my possession two rides. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) set out for this expedition in extremely hot season; the journey was long and the land (which he and his army had to cover) was waterless and he had to confront a large army, so he informed the Muslims about the actual situation (they had to face), so that they should adequately equip themselves for this expedition, and he also told them the destination where he intended to go. And the Muslims who accompanied Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) at that time were large in numbers but there was no proper record of them. Ka’b (further) said: Few were the persons who wanted to absent themselves, and were under the impression that they could easily conceal themselves (and thus remain undetected) until revelations from Allah, the Exalted and Glorious (descended in connection with them). And Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) set out on an expedition when the fruits were ripe and their shadows had been lengthened. I had weakness for them and it was during this season that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) made preparations and the Muslims too along with them. I also set out in the morning so that I should make preparations along with them but I came back and did nothing and said to myself: I have means enough (to make preparations) as soon as I like. And I went on doing this (postponing my preparations) until people were about to depart and it was in the morning that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) set out and the Muslims too along with him, but I made no preparations. I went early in the morning and came back, but I made no decision. I continued to do so until they (the Muslims) hastened and covered a good deal of distance. I also made up my mind to march on and to meet them. Would that I had done that but perhaps it was not destined for me. After the departure of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as I went out amongst people, I was shocked to find that I did not find anyone like me but people who were labelled as hypocrites or the people whom Allah granted exemption because of their incapacity and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) took no notice of me until he had reached Tabuk.

(One day as he was sitting amongst the people in Tabuk) he said: What has happened to Ka’b b. Malik? A person from Banu’ Salama said: Allah’s Messenger, the (beauty) of his cloak and his appreciation of his sides have allured him and he was thus detained. Mua’dh b. Jabal said: Woe be upon that what you contend. Allah’s Messenger, by Allah, we know nothing about him but good. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), however, kept quiet. It was during that time that he (the Holy Prophet) saw a person (dressed in all white (garment) shattering the illusion of eye (mirage). Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: May he be Abu Khaithama and, lo, it was Abu Khaithama al-Ansari and he was that person who contributed a sa’ of dates and was scoffed at by the hypocrites.

Ka’b b. Malik farther said: When this news reached me that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was on his way back from Tabuk I was greatly perturbed. I thought of fabricating false stories and asked myself how I would save myself from his anger on the following day. In this connection, I sought the help of every prudent man from amongst the members of my family and when it was said to me that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) was about to arrive, all the false ideas banished (from my mind) and I came to the conclusion that nothing could save me but the telling of truth, so I decided to speak the truth and it was in the morning that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) arrived (in Medina). And it was his habit that as he came back from a journey he first went to the mosque and observed two Rak’ahs of nafl prayer (as a mark of gratitude) and then sat amongst people. And as he did that, those who had remained behind him began to put forward their excuses and take an oath before him and they were more than eighty persons. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) accepted their excuses on the very face of them and accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and left their secret (intentions) to Allah, until I presented myself to him. I greeted him and he smiled and there was a tinge of anger in that. He (the Holy Prophet) then said to me: Come forward. I went forward until I sat in front of him. He said to me: What kept you back? Could you not afford to go in for a ride? I said: Allah’s Messenger, by Allah, if I were to sit in the presence of anybody else from amongst the worldly people I would have definitely saved myself from his anger on one pretext (or the other) and I have also the knack to fall into argumentation, but, by Allah, I am fully aware of the fact that if I were to put forward before you a false excuse to please you Allah would definitely provoke your wrath upon me, and if I speak the truth you may be annoyed with me, but I hope that Allah would make its end well and, by Allah, there is no valid excuse for me. By Allah, I never possessed so good means, and I never had such favorable conditions for me as I had when I stayed behind you (failed to join the expedition). Thereupon, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: This man told the truth, so get up until Allah gives a decision in your case. I stood up and some people of Banu’ Salama followed me in hot haste, and they said to me: By Allah, we do not know about you that you committed a sin prior to this. You, however, showed inability to put forward an excuse before Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as those who stayed behind him have put forward excuses. It would have been enough for the forgiveness of your sin that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) would have sought forgiveness for you. By Allah, they continued to incite me until I thought of going back to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and contradict myself. Then I said to them: Has anyone else also met the same fate? They said: Yes, two persons have met the same fate as has fallen to you and they have made the sane statement as you have made, and the same verdict has been delivered in their case as it has been delivered in your case. I said: Who are they? They said: Murara b. ar-Rabi’a ‘Amiri and Hilal b. Umayya al-Waqafi. They made a mention of these two pious persons to me who had participated in the Battle of Badr and there was an example for me in them. I went away when they named these two persons.

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) forbade the Muslims to talk with three of us from amongst those (persons) who had stayed behind him. The people began to avoid us and their attitude towards us underwent a change and it seemed as if the whole atmosphere had turned (hostile) against us and it was in fact the same atmosphere ot which I was fully aware and in which I had lived (for a fairly long time). We spent fifty nights in this very state and my two friends confined themselves within their houses and spent (most of the) time in weeping, but as I was young and strong amongst them I got (out of my house), participated in congregational prayers, moved about in the bazar; but none spoke to me. I came to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as he sat amongst (people) after the prayer, greeted him and asked myself whether his lips stirred in response to my greetings (or not).
Then I observed prayer beside him and looked at him with stealing glances and when I attended to my prayer, he looked at me and when I cast a glance at him he turned away his eyes from me. And when the harsh treatment of the Muslims towards me extended to a (considerable) length of time, I walked until I climbed upon the wall of the garden of Abu Qatada, and he was my cousin, and I had the greatest love for him. I greeted him but, by Allah, he did not respond to my greetings. I said to him: Abu Qatada, I adjure you by Allah, aren’t you well aware of the fact that I love Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) the most. He kept quiet. I again repeated saying: I adjure you by Allah. aren’t you well aware of the fact that I love Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) the most. He kept quiet. I again adjured him, whereupon he said: Allah and the Messenger (ﷺ) are best aware of it. My eyes began to shed tears and I came back climbing down from the wall and as I was walking in the bazar of Medina a Nabatean from amongst the Nabateans of Syria, who had come to sell food-grains in Medina, asked people to direct him to Ka’b b. Malik.

People gave him the indication by pointing towards me. He came to me and delivered to me a letter of the King of Ghassan and as I was a scribe I read that letter and it was written like this:” Coming to my point, it has been conveyed to us that your friend (the Holy Prophet) is subjecting you to cruelty and Allah has not created you for a place where you are to be degraded and where you cannot find your right place, so you come to us that we should accord you honor. As I read that letter I said: This is also a calamity, so I burnt it in the oven. When out of the fifty days, forty days had passed and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) received no revelation, there came the messenger of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) to me and said: Verily, Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) has commanded you to remain separate from your wife. I said: Should I divorce her or what (else) should I do? He said: No, but only remain separate from her and don’t have sexual contact with her. The same message was sent to my companions. So I said to my wife: You better go to your parents and stay there with them until Allah gives the decision in my case. The wife of Hilal b. Umayya came to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Allah’s Messenger, Hilal b. Umayya is a senile person, he has no servant. Do you disapprove of my serving him? He said: No, but don’t go near him. She said: By Allah, he has no such instinct in him. By Allah, he spends his time in weeping from that day to this day. Some of the members of my family said to me: Were you to seek permission from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) in regard to your wife as he has granted permission to the wife of Hilal b. Umayya to serve him. I said: I would not seek permission from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), for I cannot say what Allah’s Apostle may say in response to seeking my permission. Moreover, I am a young man. It was in this state that I spent ten more nights and thus fifty nights had passed that (people) had observed boycott with us. It was on the morning of the fiftieth night that I observed my dawn prayer and was sitting on one of the roofs of our houses.

And I was in fact sitting in that very state which Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, has described about us in these words:” Life had become hard for myself and the earth had compressed despite its vastness,” that I heard the noise of an announcer from the peak of the hill of Sal’ saying at the top of his voice: Ka’b b. Malik, there is glad tidings for you. I fell down in prostration and came to realize that there was (a message of) relief for me. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had informed the people of the acceptance of our repentance by Allah as he offered the dawn prayer. So the people went on to give us glad tidings and some of them went to my friends in order to give them the glad tidings and a person galloped his horse and came from the tribe of Aslam and his horse reached me more quickly than his voice. And when he came to me whose sound I heard, he gave me the glad tidings. I took off my clothes and clothed him with them because of his bringing good news to me and, by Allah, I possessed nothing else (in the form of clothes) than these two on that occasion, and I asked one to lend me two clothes and dressed myself in them. I came to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and on my way I met groups of people who greeted me because of (the acceptance of) repentance and they said: Here is a greeting for you for your repentance being accepted by Allah. (I moved on) until I came to the mosque and Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had been sitting there amongst persons. So Talha b. ‘Ubaidullah got up and rushed towards me and he shook hands with me and greeted me and, by Allah, no person stood up (to greet me) from amongst the emigrants except he. Ka’b said that he never forgot (this good gesture of) Talha. Ka’b further said: I greeted Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) with Assalam-o-‘Alaikam and his face was glistening because of delight, and he said: Let there be glad tidings and blessings for you, the like of which (you have neither found nor you will find, as you find today) since your mother gave your birth. I said: Allah’s Messenger. is this acceptance of repentance from you or from Allah? He said: No, (it is not from ma), it is from Allah, and it was common with Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) that as he was happy his face brightened up and it looked like a part of the moon and it was from this that we recognized it (his delight).

As I sat before him, I said: Allah’s Messenger, am I allowed to give in charity my wealth for Allah’s sake and for the sake of His Messenger (ﷺ)? Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said: Keep some property with you as it is better for you. I said: I shall keep with me that part (of my property) which fell to my lot (on the occasion of the expedition of) Khaibar. I said: Allah’s Messenger, verily, Allah has granted me salvation because of truth and, therefore, (I think) that repentance implies that I should not speak anything but truth as long as I live. He said: By Allah, I do not know whether anyone amongst the Muslims was put to more severe trial than I by Allah because of telling the truth. And since I made a mention of this to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) up to this day I have not told any lie and, by Allah, I have decided not to tell a lie and I hope that Allah would save me (from trials) for the rest of my life and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed these verses:” Certainly, Allah has turned in Mercy to the Prophet and the emigrants and the helpers who followed him in the hour of hardship after the hearts of a part of them were about to deviate; then He turned to them in mercy. Surely, to them He is Compassionate, Merciful and (He turned in Mercy) to the three who were left behind until the earth despite its vastness became strait for them and their souls were also straitened to them.” And this revelation reached up to the (words):” O you who believe, develop God consciousness, and be with the truthful” (ix. 117-118). Ka’b said: By Allah, since Allah directed me to Islam there has been no blessing more significant for me than this truth of mine which I spoke to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and if I were to tell a lie I would have been ruined as were ruined those who told lies, for in regard to those who told lies Allah used harshest words used for anyone as He descended revelation (and the words of Allah are):” They will swear by Allah to you when you return to them so that you may leave them alone. So leave them alone. Surely, they are unclean and their resort is Hell, recompense for what they earned. They will swear to you that you may be pleased with them but if you are pleased with them, yet surely Allah is not pleased with the transgressing people” (ix. 95-96). K’ab said that the matter of us three persons was deferred as compared with those who took an oath in the presence of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and he accepted their allegiance and sought forgiveness for them and Allah did not give any decision in regard to us. It was Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, Who gave decisions in our case, three who remained behind. (The words of the Qur’an)” the three who were left behind” do not mean that we remained back from Jihad but these imply that He kept our matter behind them who took oath and presented excuse before Him. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters.

[Sahih Muslim 2769]

YOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF

Sirah

The Honesty of The Prophet (SAW)
Once the chiefs of the Quraish were sitting and talking about him. An-Nadhr bin Al-Harith, the most experienced of them all, said, “O Quraish! You have not been able to find any plan to meet the calamity that has fallen upon you. Muhammad (peace be upon him) grew up from childhood in your presence. He was the most liked, honest and faithful among you. Now when he has grown to maturity and has presented these things to you, you say, he is a magician, a soothsayer, a poet, a mad man. By Allah! I have heard his Message, he is none of these things. A new calamity has fallen upon you.”
When he gathered together all the Quraish near the Mount of Safa and asked them, “O Quraish! If I say that an army is advancing on you from behind the mountains, will you believe me?” All said in one voice, “Yes; because we have never heard you telling a lie.” All the people of Makkah, without any exception swore to his truthfulness and honesty, for he had lived an unblemished and extremely pious life among them for forty years. (Read Next Blog: https://ihsan.ca/weekly_blog/9-gratitude/>Gratitude )

Sunnah Acts

Acts of Honesty
‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Guarantee for me six deeds and I will guarantee for you Paradise:

1) Be truthful when you speak

2) Keep your promises when you make them

3) Fulfill the trust when you are trusted

4) Guard your chastity

5) Lower your gaze

6) Restrain your hands from harming others.”

Source: Musnad Aḥmad 22251

Adhkar/Dua

Dua for Good Character
اللّهُمَّ أَحْسَنْتَ خَلْقِيْ فَأَحْسِنْ خُلُقِيْ
“Oh Allah, You have made my body beautiful. So beautify my character as well.

[Musnad Imam Ahmad 6/373 (3823)]
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