Chapter VII: Intention, Sincerity and Truth
(1) Truth in talk. In describing past, present and future events, one must speak the truth, but there are exceptions (1) to bring amicable settlement between two contending parties. (2) to win holy war. (3) and to please wives in case of plurality of wives. In these three cases also, sincerity in intention and good will shall have to be guarded. The Prophet allowed exceptions to truth speaking in these three-cases.
(2) Truth in Intention. It is termed Ikhlas or sincerity of purpose. Such a man moves only for God. Sincerity of purpose does not remain if it is mixed with temptations or passions. Such a-man may be termed a liar or hypocrite. That is seen in Hadis of the Prophet in which it has been stated that three persons will be asked on the Resurrection Day. Firstly a learned ma!n will be asked whether he put his learning into practice. He will mention his deeds. God will say to him : You have spoken falsehood as you intended that the people should call you a learned man and so you were called.. A sage said : The health of Tauhid lies in truthfulness. God says that He testifies that the hypocrites are liars : 'They say that you are the Prophet of God but they do not believe it with their hearts. So their tongue differed from their mind's. Tongue and mind must be the same in case of truthfulness in intention.
(3) Truth in promise. A man may think: If God gives me wealth, I will spend half of it in His way. If I meet with an enemy in the way of God, I will fight with him. If He gives me power of anything, I will administer justice and will not act in party spirit.
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He makes such promises in mind. When these things come to him, he turns back. Hazrat Omar said : The action that you strike my neck is dearer to me than your asking me to rule over a people among whom there is Abu Bakr. He did not accept the reign of Government during the life time of Hazrat Abu Bakr.
(4) Fulfillment of Promise: The fourth claim of truthfulness is fulfillment of promise. God says : There are such people among the believers who fulfill their promise with God-33:23Q. Hazrat . Anas reported that his uncle Anas-b-Najar could not join the battle of Badar. This grieved him very much. He said : By God, if He gives me an opportunity of joining a jihad with the Prophet. He will show what I shall do. In the following year when the battle of Uhud occurred he joined it and became a martyr. He received as many as eighty wounds in his body. Then the above mentioned verse was revealed.