Truth is the Beauty of Speech and Ground of Success

Truth stands for the conformity between word and deed. It plays a great role in the lives of both the individuals and communities. Truth is the beauty of speech and ground of success. From this cause, the Islamic Sharia,¹ in both the Qur’an and Sunna,² glorified and urged telling truth:

﴾Those who have brought the truth and those who have acknowledged it are those who have fear of Allah. They will receive whatever they want from their Lord. Thus is the reward of the righteous ones. (39:33-4)﴿

﴾Allah will say, "This is the Day when the truthful ones will benefit from their truthfulness. (5:119)﴿

﴾Believers! Have fear of Allah and always be friends with the truthful ones. (9:119)﴿

The Prophet (pbuh&hh) said: "Truth is the adornment of speech."

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: "Do not be deceived by their very much offering of prayers and observance of fasting. In fact, prayers and fasting have become habits that they feel desolate if they omit them. You should test them by their truthfulness and fulfillment of trusts."

"The deeds of the truthful are growing."

This means that the deeds of the truthful are ongoing and their rewards are, too, growing. Thus, God accepts only the deeds of the pious ones. Truth, then, is one of the most significant characteristics of piety.

Achievements of Truth

The publicity of mutual understanding between individuals is a social necessity. If they commit themselves to so, they will have the ability to shoulder the burdens of life and enjoy a peaceful coexistence. It goes without saying that tongue is the instrument of mutual understanding and the translator of the various concepts that rove in people’s minds. It therefore plays a serious role in the existence of communities and the harmony of individuals’ feelings and ideas. The happiness or distress of any society depends upon verbal truthfulness or falsehood. If tongue is truthful in interpreting the emotions, it will fulfill the mission of communication. If it, on the other hand, is characterized by mistranslation and misexpression, it will be the guide to evil and the means of social destruction. Hence, truth, whose effects and reflections play the greatest role in the individuals’ lives, is a social necessity.

Parties of transactions, for instance, can save themselves and times from the fatigue of bargain if they adhere to truthfulness. If all people observe truthfulness, they will gain its innumerable benefits and advantages. If untruth, on the other hand, becomes a common phenomenon in a society, the moral principals will be flimsy, mutual understanding will be missing, and the society will be the subject of disarrangement.

Parts of Truth

* Truth of speech: It stands for telling the very reality of a thing without falsification or concealment.

* Truth of deeds: It stands for the conformity of deeds with words, such as the commitment to oath and fulfillment of pledges.

* True determination: It stands for the determination to do good.

* True intention: It stands for purifying the intent from blemishes of showiness.

Notes:
1. Sharia: The Islamic code of religious law, based on the teachings of the Qur’an and the traditional sayings of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh&hh).
2. Sunna is the body of Prophet Mohammed’s words, deeds, and confirmations.

^{* By: Sayyid Mahdi as-Sadr
maaref-foundation.com}