ethics in the Quran

Honesty: The Foundation of Morality and the Key to Paradise

"Honesty is the foundation of virtuous morality and one of the most important characteristics of a true Muslim. It encompasses several aspects, including:

• Honesty in speech: A Muslim must be truthful in everything they say, as honesty is a sign of faith and lying is a sign of hypocrisy.
• Honesty in actions: A Muslim's actions should match their words, and their inner thoughts should be consistent with what they express outwardly.
• Honesty in intention and will: A Muslim's intention should be purely for the sake of Allah, free from any show of vanity or worldly gain.
• Honesty in resolution: A Muslim should be firm in their resolve and not change or alter it after committing to Allah. Allah says in His noble book: 'And among them are those who made a covenant with Allāh, [saying], "If He should give us from His bounty, we will surely spend in charity, and we will surely be among the righteous." But when He gave them from His bounty, they were stingy with it and turned away while they refused. So He penalized them with hypocrisy in their hearts until the Day they will meet Him - because they failed Allāh in what they promised Him and because they [habitually] used to lie.' (At-Tawbah 75:77).
• Honesty in religious duties: A Muslim must maintain their level of faith and be truthful in their reliance on and fear of Allah.
• Honesty in fear: A Muslim's fear of Allah should be genuine, and this should be reflected in their avoidance of sins and transgressions.
• Honesty in matters of the heart: A Muslim's heart should be sincerely devoted to Allah in all acts of worship and in all circumstances.

By embodying these traits, a Muslim lives a life filled with peace and tranquility, and serves as an example of a true believer whose actions correspond to their words, attaining the highest levels of faith and piety."

Honesty is your path to salvation and success.

Honesty is the key to survival and success in this life and the hereafter, and it manifests in three main areas:

• Honesty with Allah: Achieved through sincere faith, good deeds, and noble morals. It includes honesty in certainty, intention, and fear of Allah. It is expressed by adhering to obedience, avoiding sins, and embodying the traits of true believers as mentioned in the Holy Quran.
• Honesty with oneself: Requires a person to be truthful with themselves, accountable, and proactive in correcting their flaws. One must avoid falling into the trap of false hopes and desires, be aware of the dangers and deceit of the self, and work on purifying and correcting it in accordance with religious teachings. We must be honest with ourselves, recognizing our flaws, rectifying them, and self-accountability is a way of the believers, a characteristic of the monotheists, and a hallmark of the reverent; a believer fears their Lord, holds themselves accountable, seeks forgiveness for their sins, knows the great danger of the self, its severe affliction, its significant deceit, and its extensive evil; as it inclines towards evil, leans towards desires, calls to ignorance, leads to destruction, longs for frivolity except those whom Allah has mercy on, so it should not be left to its desires; for it calls to tyranny, whoever obeys it leads them to ugliness, and invites them to vices, involves them in dislikes, its pitfalls are strange, its impulses are frightening, and its evils are numerous; those who let the self's control expand until it becomes tyrannical, for them on the Day of Judgment is a dwelling in hell, as stated: 'So as for he who transgressed and preferred the life of the world, then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge.' On the contrary: ‘But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination.' [Al-Nazi'at: 40-41]
• Honesty with people: Includes honesty in speech, actions, and situations. Being honest with people is a sign of faith, and lying is a sign of hypocrisy. A Muslim should be an advisor to their Muslim brothers, maintain trust and covenant, and exhibit good morals in their interactions with others.

Honesty should be a characteristic inherent in a Muslim in all aspects of their life and is the path to success and prosperity in this world and the hereafter."

The Importance of Honesty in Islam

Honesty is one of the fundamental values that contribute to a person's success and happiness, and it is central to healthy human relationships and the basis of trust among individuals. Honesty is considered the attire of success and its essence, while lying is a principal cause of failure and misery. Nations and religions have all agreed on the value of honesty and its importance in building societies and achieving peaceful coexistence.

Religions, especially Islam, have paid great attention to honesty, making it one of the commendable qualities that believers should possess. In Islam, honesty is considered the foundation of the religion and the pillar of certainty, and it distinguishes the true believer from the hypocrite. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized that honesty leads to tranquility and mental peace, while lying leads to doubt and suspicion.

Honesty is also considered a standard for other noble morals and the optimal path to achieving higher virtues. Those who are honest may be endowed with true insight and strong argumentation. Honesty is seen as a sharp sword against falsehood and a means of salvation from plots and terrors.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained that a believer might be cowardly or stingy, but cannot be a liar, indicating that honesty is an integral part of a believer's faith. Honesty is a reason for salvation and success in this world and the hereafter, inspiring the truthful in their words and deeds.

Trustworthiness in Islam

In Islam, trustworthiness is a significant responsibility and a heavy burden, meaning the fulfillment of duties towards Allah through worship and devotion, and carrying out the rights of creation without shortfall. Trustworthiness is one of the foundational pillars of the ethical system in Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) linked trustworthiness with faith. It encompasses all aspects of a Muslim’s religious and worldly life, from acts of worship like prayer, fasting, and zakat, to one's faculties such as hearing, sight, and heart, as well as one's life, wealth, spouse, children, parents, neighbors, contracts, wills, testimonies, duties, society, and knowledge. Allah says: ‘And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.' [Al-Isra: 36].

Trustworthiness involves maintaining and spreading the religion, performing acts of worship sincerely and according to Sharia, taking care of oneself and purifying one’s soul, and using one's faculties in ways that please Allah. It also includes making good use of one's life in obedience, dealing correctly with money, fulfilling the rights of the spouse, children, parents, and neighbors. It emphasizes the importance of fulfilling contracts and covenants, executing wills justly, giving truthful testimony, performing job duties with integrity, preserving and strengthening the Muslim community, transmitting knowledge truthfully, and keeping the secrets of conversations confidential.

Every Muslim bears the responsibility of trustworthiness for all that they are entrusted with, and Allah will question them about it on the Day of Judgment. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned against deception and betrayal in trust, and emphasized that one who does not advise his subjects sincerely will not smell the scent of Paradise. Trustworthiness includes everything in life and is a tremendous responsibility that Allah offered to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, but they declined to bear it, and it was the human who took it on."

Trustworthiness: A Great Responsibility in Islam

The importance of good morals and virtuous values in achieving tranquility and happiness for individuals and society is emphasized, and it is affirmed that these ethics must be practiced in all situations and circumstances. Among these morals, trustworthiness is one of the most significant, and it is not limited to the preservation of money but includes speech, action, daily transactions, worship, covenants, commitments, health, senses, and more.

Trustworthiness is considered a fundamental part of human nature and religion, and people naturally tend to trust and rely on a trustworthy person. The text encourages Muslims to learn and embody the trait of trustworthiness from Islam in all aspects of life, highlighting that a person who possesses trustworthiness is satisfied with themselves, accepted by others, and covered with God's mercy and kindness.

Trustworthiness has become rare due to neglect of the hereafter, love of the worldly life, and distance from religious teachings. It warns that a society that loses trustworthiness is considered one of the most corrupt societies, and mentions that the disappearance of trustworthiness occurs gradually with poor actions, leading to altered realities and falsified facts. The text refers to a prophetic saying warning of a time when liars will be believed, the truthful will be doubted, the treacherous will be trusted, and the trustworthy will be betrayed.

A lack of trustworthiness leads to a deficiency in faith, and conveys a prophetic narration describing how trustworthiness will be withdrawn from hearts and become a rare quality, praised in those who are neither good nor faithful