Honesty incorporates the concepts of truthfulness and reliability and it resides in all human thought, words, actions and relationships. Honesty is held in high regard. The Prophet (SAW) even said to ‘wait for the Day of Judgment when honesty is mislaid’. This indicates the woeful end of time and Judgment Day, when people will be condemned and punished because of dishonest misconduct. Hence, in Islam, honest conduct is expected when dealing with other people and serves to unite notions of candor and truthfulness in actions, relationships and verbal exchanges. Thus, Islam compels truthfulness and forbids deceit. Al-Quran commands honesty. “O you who believe! Keep from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and piety, and keep the company of the truthful (those who are also faithful to their covenant with God).” (At-Tawbah, 9:119) Prophet Muhammad (SAW), as a firm believer in Allah, is the perfect example of a character that embodied honesty and received the titles, Al-Amin, the trustworthy, and as Sadiq, the truthful, even prior to his elevation to Prophethood. “Those who have believed in God and His Messengers (those whose actions prove their profession of faith) – they are, in the sight of their Lord, the loyal and truthful (to God in whatever they do and say), and the witnesses (who have borne testimony to the truth with their lives). They have their (particular) reward and their (particular) light. But those who disbelieve and deny Our manifest signs and Revelations – they will be the companions of the Blazing Flame.” (Al-Hadid, 57:19) Allah strictly forbids deceit and said that hellfire awaits those who conduct their life dishonestly.
Allah forbids the concealing of truth when you know it, for example, lying for a family member who committed theft to prevent the pursuit of justice. Time and again, Allah reprimands Muslims to follow his instructions via Al-Quran to prohibit lying.
Allah also commands Muslims to be honest when consuming wealth. “O you who believe! Do not consume one another’s wealth in wrongful ways (such as theft, extortion, bribery, usury, and gambling), except it be dealing by mutual agreement; and do not destroy yourselves (individually or collectively, by following wrongful ways like extreme asceticism and idleness. Be ever mindful that) God has surely been All-Compassionate towards you (particularly as believers).” (An-Nisa’, 4:29) Allah forbids the consumption of other people’s wealth with dishonest intent and reprimands Muslims on the matter to prevent murder as a consequence. “Do not confound the truth by mixing it with falsehood, and do not conceal the truth while you know (the meaning and outcome of what you do, and that what you strive to hide is true, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, whose coming you have been anticipating).” (Al-Baqarah, 2:42) It is antithetical to Islamic ethics to mix truth with falsehood. An instance of this is telling partial truth when witnessing a crime committed by someone related to you. Allah forbids the concealing of truth when you know it, for example, lying for a family member who committed theft to prevent the pursuit of justice. Time and again, Allah reprimands Muslims to follow his instructions via Al-Quran to prohibit lying.
