/ Adhere to truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise

Adhere to truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Adhere to truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man will keep telling the truth and strive to tell the truth until he is recorded with Allah as the most truthful. Beware of lying, for lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to Hellfire. A man will keep telling lies and strive to tell lies until he is recorded with Allah as a persistent liar."
Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) enjoined truthfulness and informed that adherence to it leads to constant good deeds. Persistence in doing good deeds leads the doer to Paradise, and he continues to adopt truthfulness in secret and public and deserves to be labeled as most truthful - this is extreme truthfulness. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned of lying and false speech, for it prompts a person to deviate from uprightness and to engage in evil, corruption, and sins; then, it leads him to Hellfire. He continues to tell more and more lies until he is recorded with Allah among the liars.

Hadeeth benefits

  1. Truthfulness is a noble trait that one can possess by diligently seeking to acquire it. If a person keeps telling the truth and strives to tell the truth, truthfulness will turn into second nature to him, and thus he will be recorded with Allah among the truthful and pious ones.
  2. Lying is a bad trait that a person acquires through long-term practice and the keenness to engage in it through words and deeds until it becomes part of his nature and disposition. Then, he will be recorded with Allah Almighty as a frequent liar.
  3. Truthfulness refers to the truthfulness of the tongue, the opposite of lying; truthfulness in intention, which is sincerity; truthfulness in the determination to do something good a person has intended; truthfulness in actions, the least of which is the uprightness of one's innermost and outward character; and truthfulness in situations, such as truthfulness in fear, hope, and so on. Whoever is characterized by these is the most truthful, and whoever is characterized by some of them is truthful.