Truthfulness and Sincerity; Two Precious Moral Gems
These two moral characteristics help one reach salvation in this world and the next. They are keys to discover people’s Batin (inner self). So if you want to know about one’s good and bad traits of character, you should test them in truthfulness and sincerity.
These two characteristics have many positive effects in one’s life. For example, they help to increase one’s prestige and honor among other people. That is why Imam Ali (AS) urges everyone to always be truthful, because someone who is truthful in his words, his status will grow in society.
Truthfulness also gives one courage and bravery with which he can achieve peace of mind. Lying and hypocrisy, on the other hand, make one always worry and fear lest his lies be exposed and he lose his honor among people.
Truthfulness also causes one to be steadfast in resisting sins and wrongdoing. In other words, it helps him avoid sins. He knows that if he commits a sin, he would not be able to cover it up, so he avoids any wrongdoing and sin in order not to end up in such a situation.
Truthfulness and lying are manifested not only in words but also in deeds. Those whose deeds are the opposite of what they feel and think are liars. That is why when hypocrites went to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and bore witness to his prophethood, a verse of the Quran was revealed in which God says the hypocrites are lying. Muhammad (PBUH) was the prophet of God and this is the truth but when the hypocrites bear witness to this, they are telling a lie because this is not what they believe in heart.
Truthfulness is so valuable before God that he says in Verse 24 of Surah Al-Ahzab: “God will certainly reward the truthful ones for their truthfulness and punish or pardon the hypocrites as He wishes. God is All-forgiving and All-merciful.”
