Quality of uprightness

samreen · #1 Friday, July 20, 2007

Quality of uprightness
By Bilal Ahmed Malik
Friday feature

ISLAM is not just a religion in the traditional sense. It is not confined to acts of worship, morality and other aspects of personal piety. Its teachings, even though they do cover religious rituals and morality, also encompass all other aspects of life. Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) mission encompassed not only spiritual and religious teachings. It also included guidance for such things as social reform, economics, politics, warfare and family life.

In worldly matters, truthfulness, uprightness and honesty in dealings of every kind, are stressed repeatedly in the Quran. Great damage is done to a society when dishonest practices such as cheating or misappropriation are rampant. Dishonesty breeds ill-will, and pollutes the atmosphere of a society. Truthfulness and fair play, on the other hand, promote harmony. Human beings must not be motivated by greed and selfishness and therefore must not distort information and deliberately misguide others. Unfortunately, the accumulation of worldly riches for one’s own benefit is a common practice, often leading the people to succumb to dishonest temptations.

The Quran says: "Know that in your wealth and your children are a temptation and that Allah is He with whom there is a mighty reward."(7:28)

The Prophet (PBUH) embodied honesty and integrity in his daily dealings. His titles were Sadiq and Ameen, necessary qualities whether one is testifying in a court, doing business, or even dealing with people socially. These principles of honesty were strictly adhered to by the Prophet’s successors as well. In their official correspondence, they advocated and insisted on honest conduct in administration and other areas of governmental activity. Anybody with a dishonest record was immediately reprimanded.

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has stressed the importance of honesty in most of his sermons, saying: "Remember, there is no faith in him who is not trustworthy; there is no place for him in religion who cares not for his pledged word or promise."

He also said: “The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he is false, when he promises, he fails; and when he is trusted, he plays false."

Condemning those who cheat in business the Prophet has said:

"He who cheats is not of us. Deceitfulness and fraud are things that lead one to Hell." Allah describes truthfulness and honesty as qualities that make a human being successful in His sight, as follows. "The steadfast and the truthful, and the obedient, those who spend (and hoard not), those who pray for pardon in the watches of the night."(3: 17).

One must be honest even if one’s own interest is at stake, as is evidenced by the following verse: "And whoso committeth a delinquency or crime, then throweth (the blame) thereof upon the innocent, hath burdened himself with falsehood and a flagrant crime."(4:112). "O ye who believe! Be ye staunch in justice, witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or (your) parents or (your) kindred, whether (the case be of) a rich man or a poor man, for Allah is nearer unto both ( than ye are). So follow not passion lest ye lapse (from truth) and if ye lapse or fall away, then lo! Allah is ever informed of what ye do"(4:135).

The above mentioned verse also suggests equality for all human beings under the law, in spite of their economic status. The law is to be regarded as the same for rich and poor. Similar ideals are to be practiced in business dealings, as the following verses suggest.

"O my people! Give full measure and full weight in justice, and wrong not people in respect of their goods. And do no evil in the earth, causing corruption."(11:83).

“And weigh with the true balance."

"Wrong not mankind in their goods, and do no evil, making mischief, in the earth."(26: 182-183).

Allah deprecates deceit and falsehood in the following verse: "That (is the command). And whoso magnified the sacred things of Allah, it will be well for him in the sight of his Lord. The cattle are lawful unto you save that which hath been told you. So shun the filth of idols, and shun lying speech."(22: 30).

Allah forbids all unclean and corrupt means of making money, such as, dishonest trading, gambling, and bribery. And the Holy Qur’an has explained and described such practices in many of its verses. In this verse, for instance, Allah warns those traders who cheat in weighing. He says: "Woe to those that deal in fraud, - those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full measure, but when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. Do they not think that they will be called to account – on a Mighty Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds." (133: 1-6)

Once Prophet Mohammad came upon a heap of corn in the market of Medina and thrust his hand onto it. His fingers felt damp. On being asked, the trader replied that rain had fallen upon it. The Prophet observed, "why did you not then keep (the wet portion of) it above the dry corn, so that men may see it? He, who deceives, is not one of us."

Thus traders who deceive by showing to customers a false sample or by concealing from them the defects of the product are not true Muslims in the judgment of Allah’s Prophet and, they are going to end up in hell.

Another example: Prophet Mohammad said: "The seller must explain to the buyer the defects, if any, in the quality of the article offered for sale. Should this not be done, the seller will permanently be caught in the Wrath of Allah (according to another narrator the exact words, ‘he will always be cursed by the angels')."

And finally Allah condemns the actions of dishonest people in the following verses:

"Woe unto the defrauders." "Those who when they take the measure from mankind demand it full." "But if they measure unto them or weigh for them, they cause them loss."(83:1,2,3).

In short, all manner of deceit and dishonesty are prohibited in Islam. It has been proclaimed to be an act worthy of unqualified condemnation. The Holy Prophet has expressed his strong dislike for those who do so. He has said he will have nothing to do with them; they do not belong to him.

Thus honesty and truthfulness demand that a person should act unselfishly. In order for honesty to be effective it has to be genuine, and not a mere act of expediency resulting from fear or injury. Honesty and truthfulness must also be a habit of mind, rather than something practised as a result of a need. The Prophet once said, "No man can attain a firm faith, unless he develops strength of character, and that cannot be achieved unless one acquires the habit of speaking the truth."

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