4th Condition – Truthfulness

4. Truthfulness (As-Sidq) – in opposition to lying

Truthfulness paves the way for a meaningful understanding of this testimony. It strengthens the drive of man towards achieving knowledge about his Creator, Allaah.

The hypocrites utter the testimony, but they conceal rejection in their hearts:

يَقُولُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ

“They said with their tongues what is not in their Hearts.” (Al-Fath, 48:11)

The heart is like the king and the limbs are the soldiers.

The Prophet (salallaahu ‘alayhi wasalam) said:
“Truly there is a piece of flesh in the body if it become good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body becomes spoilt.” [Part of a hadeeth collected by Al-Bukhaaree & Muslim].

When the love of Allaah fills the heart, truthfulness and honesty fill it too, but when desire gets to the heart, the way for corruption and hypocrisy becomes opened and man will utter what is not really in his heart.

The whole and sound heart is the one free from:

a) association of anyone /anything in the worship of Allaah,
b) false pride and arrogance
c) envy
d) misery
e) love for this life
f) love for leadership and domination
g) lust
h) bid’ah (innovation in religion)

This is the kind of heart that fulfills the declaration of Shahaadah. This is known in the Qur’an as “Al-Qalbu as-Saleem,”the clean, sound, safe and whole heart,” and it is the thing that really counts on the Day of Reckoning :

يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُون / إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ

“The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail /Except him who brings to Allâh a clean heart [clean from Shirk (polytheism) and Nifâq (hypocrisy)].” (Ash-Shu’ara 26:88-89).

Previous Conditions:

1. Knowledge

2. Certainty

3. Sincerity

The next condition we will discuss is Love, InshaAllaah

To continue reading all the conditions Click Here