Islam is one of the perfect religion since it always conveys the truth. Truly the truth belongs only to Allah SWT. A person who has knowledge of the truth is required to convey the truth to those who do not know it. And in this article, we will discuss the law of conveying the truth in Islam.
The Prophet Muhammad, the Conveyor of Truth in Islam
The figure who is always steadfast in conveying the truth of Islam that makes us on the bright path is the Prophet Muhammad. Allah says,
أَفَمَنْ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ الْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَىٰ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
Is there anyone who knows that what was revealed to you from your Rabb is the same as a blind person? Only intelligent people can take lessons. (Surah Ar-Ra’d 13: 19)
The Law of Conveying the Truth in Islam
Conveying the legal truth is mandatory and those who get the news about the truth must follow it.
The Prophet Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam said:
لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي قَلْبِهِ مِثْقَالُ ذَرَّةٍ مِنْ كِبْرٍ قَالَ رَجُلٌ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ ثَوْبُهُ حَسَنًا وَنَعْلُهُ حَسَنَةً قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَمِيلٌ يُحِبُّ الْجَمَالَ الْكِبْرُ بَطَرُ الْحَقِّ وَغَمْطُ النَّاسِ
It will not enter the heaven of the person in whose heart there is pride as heavy as mustard seeds. One man asked: “There is someone who likes his clothes to be good and his sandals are good (does that include pride?).” He replied, “Surely Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Pride is rejecting the truth and demeaning people.” (HR. Muslim, no. 2749, from Abdullah bin Mas’ûd Radhiyallahu Anhu)
Imam Nawawi Rahimahullah said, “As for ‘rejecting the truth’, that is rejecting it and denying it by assuming that it is tall and big.”
Allah Azza wa Jalla said:
أَمِ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِهِ آلِهَةً ۖ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ ۖ هَٰذَا ذِكْرُ مَنْ مَعِيَ وَذِكْرُ مَنْ قَبْلِي ۗ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ الْحَقَّ ۖ فَهُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ
Do they take offerings other than Him? Say, “Show your proof! (the Qur’an) This is a warning to those who are with me, and a warning to those who were before me. Actually most of them do not know the right, so they turn away.” (Surah Al-Anbiyâ’ 21: 24)
Shaykh ‘Abdurrahmân bin Nâshir As-Sa’di Rahimahullah said, “They do not know the truth not because the truth is vague and unclear, but because they turned away from Him. If they do not turn away and want to pay attention, surely the truth becomes clear to them from falsehood.”
Those Who Do Not Accept Islamic Truth
Those who do not want to accept the truth of Islam even though they actually know the truth, then they belong to the cursed people. Allah says,
وَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ كِتَابٌ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقٌ لِمَا مَعَهُمْ وَكَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ يَسْتَفْتِحُونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ مَا عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِ ۚ فَلَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ
“And when there came to them a Book from Allah confirming that which was with them, although before they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved, but (then) when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allah will be upon the disbelievers.” (Surah Al-Baqarah 2: 89) (Also read: Virtue of the Last Two Verses Surah Al-Baqarah)
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Truth from Non-Muslims
The truth that is conveyed is also not only from Muslims. Even the truth conveyed by a non-Muslim should be heard as well as the history below. (Also read: Islamic Law of Celebrating Non-Muslims Festivals).
Ayesha Radhiyallahu Anhuma said:
دَخَلَتْ عَلَيَّ عَجُوزَانِ مِنْ عُجُزِ يَهُوْدِ الْمَدِينَةِ فَقَالَتَا لِيْ إِنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُبُوْرِ يُعَذَّبُونَ فِي قُبُوْرِهِمْ فَكَذَّبْتُهُمَا وَلَمْ أُنْعِمْ أَنْ أُصَدِّقَهُمَا فَخَرَجَتَا وَدَخَلَ عَلَيَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ عَجُوزَيْنِ وَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ فَقَالَ صَدَقَتَا إِنَّهُمْ يُعَذَّبُونَ عَذَابًا تَسْمَعُهُ الْبَهَائِمُ كُلُّهَا فَمَا رَأَيْتُهُ بَعْدُ فِي صَلاَةٍ إِلاَّ تَعَوَّذَ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ
Madinah’s two Jewish grandmothers came to see me, both of them told me, “Those who are in the tomb are tormented in their tombs.” I belie both, I am not happy to justify both. Then both of them came out. The Prophet came in to meet me, so I said to him, “O Messenger of Allah, actually two grandmothers …” He said, “Both are right. Surely they were tormented with the torments that all the animals heard. Then I did not see him in prayer after that, unless he took refuge from the torment of the grave.” (HR. Bukhâri, no. 6366; Muslim, no. 586)
عَنْ قُتَيْلَةَ امْرَأَةٍ مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ أَنَّ يَهُودِيًّا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ إِنَّكُمْ تُنَدِّدُونَ وَإِنَّكُمْ تُشْرِكُونَ تَقُولُونَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَشِئْتَ وَتَقُولُونَ وَالْكَعْبَةِ فَأَمَرَهُمْ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَحْلِفُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ وَيَقُولُونَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ شِئْتَ
From Qutailah, a woman from the tribe of Juhainah, that a Jewish man came to the Prophet Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam then said, “Surely you make a match (for Allah). Surely you associate (Allah). You say ‘What God wants and what you want’. You also say ‘For the sake of the Ka’bah’. So the Prophet ordered the Muslims, if they wanted to swear to say, “For Rabb Ka’bah”. And so they say, “What God wants then what you want”. (HR. Nasâi, no. 3773; narrated by Al-Albâni)
From Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu Anhu, he said, “The Prophet Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wa Sallam represented me to keep the zakat of Ramadan. Then someone came to me and took food with his hand. So I caught him, and I said, “I will really take you to the Messenger of Allah…” then he mentions the hadith… then the thief said, “If you go to your bed, read the verse of the Kursi, there will always be a guardian from Allah, and Satan will not approach you until dawn. ”
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Then the Prophet said, “He (the thief) has said the truth to you (O Abu Hurairah), but he is a liar, he is a devil.” (Narrated by Bukhari, no. 2311, 3275, with mu’allaq, but connected by Abu Burn al-Ismâ’ili and Abu Nu’aim, as mentioned in Hadyus sâri, p. 42 and Fathul Bâri 4/488. See full explanation in Fathul Mannân, pp. 458-460, by Shaykh Masyhûr bin Hasan Alu Salmân) (Also read: 15 Prohibitions of Lying in Islam)
Therefore, the law of conveying the truth in Islam is obligatory and for those who get the news of this truth must accept it because the truth comes from Allah SWT.