Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Abstract

Truthfulness is a foundational virtue in the Islamic tradition and across Abrahamic faiths, intertwining everyday ethics with the deepest theological quests. Qur’an 5:119 declares that on the Day of Judgment “the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness,” linking personal honesty to ultimate salvation surahquran.com. This commentary examines the verse in context and explores how sidq (truthfulness) is upheld not only as interpersonal honesty but as sincerity in faith and a commitment to seek truth in philosophy and theology. Drawing on Qur’anic verses, Hadith literature, and parallel teachings from Christian and Jewish scriptures, we highlight the premium placed on truth-telling and truth-seeking. Historical exemplars—from prophets like Abraham to scholars and sages in Islamic, Christian, and Jewish traditions—illustrate the enduring pursuit of truth as both a moral obligation and a spiritual journey. In tying together ethical truthfulness with the philosophical and theological pursuit of al-ḥaqq (the Truth), this study underscores that truthfulness is a bridge between moral integrity and the quest for ultimate reality.

(Keywords: truthfulness, Qur’an 5:119, ethics, theology, philosophy, Abrahamic traditions, sidq, al-Ḥaqq.)

Introduction: Truthfulness as Ethical and Theological Imperative

Truthfulness occupies a central place in the value system of the Qur’an and indeed all Abrahamic religions. On a basic ethical level, to be truthful means honesty in speech and action, eschewing lies and deception. On a higher plane, truthfulness signifies fidelity to reality and sincerity before God – a willingness to seek and uphold the truth about existence, even when difficult. The Qur’an frequently links truthfulness with righteousness and faith, indicating that ethical honesty is intertwined with one’s relationship with the Divine. For example, believers are commanded: “O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are truthful” islamawakened.com. Here truthfulness (sidq) is not only a personal virtue but a social and spiritual ideal – one is enjoined to accompany the ṣādiqīn (the truthful ones), cultivating a community grounded in integrity. In the Biblical tradition, similarly, the Prophet Zechariah admonished, “Speak the truth to one another” (Zechariah 8:16), and the New Testament echoes, “putting away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor” biblehub.com. Truthfulness thus is seen as the glue of righteous community life.

Yet truth in Abrahamic thought is more than just honesty in human relations; it is ultimately rooted in the nature of God. The Qur’an teaches that “Allah is the Truth” (Arabic: al-Ḥaqq) corpus.quran.com, and in Jewish tradition the sages said “the seal of God is truth” alhakam.org. In Christian Scripture, Jesus Christ famously avows, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” biblehub.com, identifying ultimate Truth with the Divine. Thus, pursuing truth is a religious imperative: to love God is to love truth, and to live truthfully is to reflect something of the Divine character. This commentary on Qur’an 5:119 will explore how the verse encapsulates both dimensions of truthfulness – ethical and theological – and how the broader Islamic tradition, alongside other Abrahamic teachings, connects truthful living with the pursuit of ultimate truth. We will draw on Qur’anic exegesis, sayings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Biblical and rabbinic teachings, and historical examples of truth-seekers to illustrate that sidq (truthfulness) is regarded as a supreme virtue leading to fawz ‘aẓīm – the great triumph of God’s pleasure in the Hereafter surahquran.com surahquran.com.

Qur’an 5:119 – “The Day Truthfulness Benefits the Truthful”

Surah al-Mā’idah (5:119) provides a powerful eschatological scene highlighting the value of truthfulness. The verse comes at the end of a passage describing the Day of Judgment, particularly an interrogation of Jesus by God about the false claims made by some of his followers (Qur’an 5:116-118). After Jesus denies having taught any divinity besides God, Qur’an 5:119 proclaims:

Allah will say, ‘This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness.’ For them are gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein forever. Allah is pleased with them and they with Him. That is the great attainment.

In this divine pronouncement, we see that al-ṣādiqūn (the truthful ones) are finally rewarded. Their ṣidq (truthfulness) profits them in the most ultimate sense – eternal paradise and the pleasure of God. Classical commentators note that the context implies contrast with those who lied or engaged in falsehood, such as those who falsely elevated Jesus to divinity or those who were hypocrites surahquran.com. God’s response – “This is the Day truthfulness benefits the truthful” – suggests that while in worldly life falsehood may seem to afford advantage, in the Hereafter only truthfulness yields real benefit surahquran.com. Truthfulness here is comprehensive: as one commentary explains, it refers to being “true in their intentions, statements and actions” surahquran.com. In other words, sidq in the Qur’anic sense is not confined to truthful speech about facts; it encompasses sincerity of intention (truthfulness to oneself and God), truthful words, and righteous deeds consistent with truth.

Islamic scholarship has further elaborated on the breadth of sidq. According to Ma‘āriful Qur’an, truth (sidq) and falsehood (kidhb) in the Quranic and prophetic usage apply “generally to both words and deeds” quran.com. A person is truthful when their actions faithfully reflect their professed beliefs and their inner state, just as they are truthful when their tongue speaks accurately. For example, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught through his sayings that claiming qualities one does not possess is a form of falsehood, “as if one wears two garments of lies” quran.com. Conversely, someone who sincerely worships in private as well as public is called a “true servant” of God quran.com. Thus, sidq implies integrity or congruence: the alignment of inner conviction, spoken word, and outward action with what is true and right.

On Judgment Day, Qur’an 5:119 depicts this alignment reaching its fruition. The truthful ones – those who lived in honest submission to God and upheld truth – will find that their lifelong commitment to truthfulness was not in vain. “This day the truthfulness of the truthful shall benefit them” – their integrity yields eternal benefit surahquran.com. Notably, the verse immediately mentions Paradise and Allah’s pleasure as the rewards, highlighting that truthfulness is ultimately a matter of one’s standing with God. In Islamic theology, one of the greatest honors promised to the truthful is that “Allah is pleased with them and will never be displeased with them”, a bliss greater than any material reward quran.com. Indeed, the Qur’an 5:119 concludes by calling this raḍwān (Divine acceptance) “the great success” surahquran.com.

The verse thus encapsulates a key moral theology of Islam: truthfulness is salvific. It is a means to salvation in the hereafter, not in a mechanistic sense, but because a life of truthfulness reflects true faith and earns God’s pleasure. This idea is mirrored in the Bible as well – for example, Psalm 15 asks who may dwell with God and answers, “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart” (Psalm 15:2). Living in truth is what makes one a companion of God. Similarly, Christian eschatology warns that “all liars”—those given to falsehood—will miss out on salvation (Revelation 21:8), underscoring the severe spiritual consequence of a life of lies.

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