(68) Honesty

(68) Honesty

I was once invigilating in an examination room on a Thursday.

Although Thursday is not a weekday in Saudi Arabia, we were forced to have an exam on that day due to the large number of subjects we had.

A few minutes after the beginning of the exam, a student came in late. The poor lad was looking bewildered.

I said to him, “Sorry, you have come late and I cannot let you into the examination room.” He began to beg me to allow him in.

I asked him, “Why are you late?”

He said, “By Allah, dear teacher, I overslept!”

I was impressed at his honesty and said, “OK. You may come in.” He entered and sat his exam.

A few minutes later another student came late. I said to him, “Why are you late?”

He said, “By Allah, dear teacher, there is so much traffic on the road! As you know, everyone leaves for work in the morning– some are going to the university, others are heading for work, etc.”

447

He then began mentioning all the different people on road to assure me that there really was heavy traffic on the road, but the wretched lad forgot that it was a Thursday and that it was therefore a weekend. Perhaps there was nobody at all on the road that day except students from our university!

I said to him, “So there was a traffic jam and the road was packed with cars?”

He said, “Yes, by Allah, dear teacher! If you were with me you would know what I mean!”

I said to him, “You sly person! If you want to lie, then at least plan it properly! Dear brother, today is a Thursday!” Meaning, a weekend - no one goes to work on a Thursday! What traffic are you talking about?

He said, “Oh! Sorry, dear teacher! I forgot to say that my tyre was punctured.” Meaning, one of his tyres was punctured so he got delayed while fixing the tyre.The poor lad was thrown, so I just laughed and let him into the examination room.

Yes! How horrible it is for people to find out that you are lying to them!

448

The Prophet Peace be upon himwas asked, “Can a believer be a coward?”

He replied, “Yes”

He was then asked, “Can a believer be miserly?”

“Yes”, he replied.

He was then asked, “Can a believer be a liar?”

“No!” he replied. (al-Muwatta, Mursal)

‘Abdullah bin ‘Amir – may Allah be pleased with him – said: “My mother once called me while the Messenger of Allah Peace be upon himwas sitting in our house.

She said, ‘Come here and I will give you something.’

The Messenger of Allah Peace be upon himsaid to her, ‘What do you want to give him?’

She said, ‘I will give him some dates.’

He said to her, ‘If you were to fail to give anything to him, one act of lying would have been recorded against you.’” (Abu Dawud, Hasan)

If the Prophet Peace be upon himever found out that someone in his household had lied, he would remain aloof from them forever. Many a time, people are pushed to lie in order to paint a more beautiful picture of themselves. Thus, you would find them lying about their courage, or inventing their own chronicles, or adding to the truth to make it more interesting, or claiming to be talented when they are not. You will find the liar making promises and breaking them. When he makes blunders, he will make up excuses, only for his lies to be discovered by others sooner rather than later.

449

Once, al-Imam az-Zuhri stood in front of the ruler of his time and gave his testimony over an issue.

The ruler said, “You have lied!”

Az-Zuhri screamed, “I seek refuge in Allah! Would I lie? By Allah, if someone were to call from the heavens that Allah has made lying permissible, then I still would not lie! How can I then lie when it is haram?”

Reality

They deceived you when they said that it was only a white lie, because a lie is always black in colour.

450