“Nobles” is a title used for the “fortys,” or some among the “fortys” included in the “men of the Unseen.” According to verifying Sufi scholars, these are the heroes of altruism who have completed their ascension toward God by going down among the people to guide and spiritually educate them. They think of nothing other than guiding people to God; they encourage hearts always to do good, and they erect spiritual barriers before evils. They try to confront possible misfortunes through prayers and supplications and they are ready to sacrifice themselves for the good of people or to prevent disasters. Their hearts always beat with feelings of self-sacrifice, compassion, and tender care for others. Since they have dedicated their lives to the happiness of others, they live a life overburdened with the troubles of others and sigh for them. Even if there are times when they feel happy at the news of others’ happiness, they are always sorrowful because of what they have witnessed or heard concerning the sufferings of people. In respect of their mission, they are heirs to the Prophets.

Nukaba (The Custodians)

Nukaba are the saints who are always together with people, correcting their faults, and guiding all toward good with mildness and kindness. Although the term is used for those in the Sufi Orders of Rifai [1] and Badawi [2] who have completed their spiritual journeying and have begun the mission of guiding people to God, according to the verifying Sufi scholars they are the purified souls whose spiritual profundity and discovery transcend their scope of learning and sight and who always observe the spiritual domain or realm of existence; by God’s leave, they are able to penetrate the hearts of people and what occurs to them. They carry out the duty of some sort of translation between the physical and metaphysical realms, interpreting existence in accordance with their capacity and in consideration of the understanding levels of their audience, and persistently try to find ways to God through everything. In their view, the universe is a meaningful book which contains messages within messages, with all its parts making up the words, sentences, and paragraphs. In these ever-wakeful souls and truth-voicing tongues, the truth expressed herein shows itself:

The universe is a supreme book of God throughout,
whatever letter you study, you see its meaning is God.

Awtad (The Pillars)

Awtad are the four “men of God” who are so close to one another that one cannot do without the other. They make their spiritual journeying and carry out their duties under the shadow of the missions of Enoch, Elijah, Jesus, and Khadr, upon them and our Prophet be peace. According to the particular mission of each, they have the titles ‘Abdu’l-Hayy (The Servant of the All-Living), ‘Abdu’l-‘Alim (The Servant of the All-Knowing), ‘Abdu’l-Murid (The Servant of the All-Willing), and ‘Abdu’l-Qadir (The Servant of the All-Powerful), and they reflect the spiritual content of Prophets Adam, Abraham, Jesus, and Muhammad, upon them be peace and blessings, or represent the reflections of their truths. Their connection with God is through the lenses of the Archangels Gabriel, Michael [3], Israfil [4], and ‘Azrail [5], upon them be peace. They each correspond to a pillar of the Ka‘ba, which signifies the door or stairway to that station.

Muhyi’d-Din ibnu’l-‘Arabi is of the opinion that the pillars are the seven saints who carry out their duties according to a hierarchy that exists among them.

Some call all the saints of God—including the nobles, custodians, and pillars—the “men of God” in the sense that they are heroes of the truth with certain spiritual power. Their most distinguishing attributes are their deep reverence for God and their feeling of awe before Him; being overwhelmed by the manifestations of the All-Merciful; arousing God’s existence and omnipresence in the minds of those who see them; sobriety and dignity coming from their constant awareness of God’s company; being deeply ashamed of certain ordinary human acts and states—even though they are not religiously forbidden; being aware of God in everything in a different wave of sensation; self-forgetfulness when they are aware of God; continuous self-supervision and attributing to Him whatever gifts and blessings they are favored with; and remaining unknown by others. With respect to their being unknown, they are called “the men of the Unseen” or “the army of God.” In one of his poems, Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror [6] refers to those men who are endowed with a sacred spiritual power and asks for their prayers in carrying out the duty of serving God’s Word.

With respect to these men’s being able to make the Divine mysteries felt in the hearts of others, they are called “the men of conquest”; because of their being unknown or being known only by a few, they are known as “the men of the Unseen.” In regard to their generally living in ecstasy, they are called “the men of power,” and because they approach everyone with gentleness and tolerance and return evil done to them with good, they are “the men of kindness.”

Ghawth (The Helper or the Means of Divine Help)

Signifying help, coming to the aid of others, and giving spiritual help, the term ghawth is used by the Sufis to denote saints of the highest rank.

A person who has attained this rank has been honored with a particular Divine favor and, by God’s leave, hurries to the aid of those in difficulties. Those who do not have this capacity cannot be regarded as ghawth; any poles (qutb) who cannot be mirrors to reflect Divine help to others are not called ghawth.

One who combines the spiritual status of being a ghawth with the rank of being a qutb is called al-ghawthu’l-a‘zam (the greatest helper), and if the one who has been primarily favored with the rank of being a qutb is also honored with being a ghawth, he is called al-qutbu’l-a‘zam (the greatest pole). Each of these titles has aspects particular to itself.

Since those honored with these exalted ranks represent the shadow of Haqiqa Muhammadiya (the Truth of Muhammad) [7], they are in the company of the Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, with respect to being mirrors to certain Divine truths. Because of this, they have a reflective part in the holy Prophet’s universal mission of being a mirror to God, which is expressed by Süleyman Çelebi as follows:

(God said to the Prophet): I have made your essence a mirror to Me,
and inscribed your name together with Mine.

The status described by Haqani in, “The Ultimate Truth has made him a mirror to Him / He has made him a mirror to His peerless Being,” primarily and with all its comprehensiveness, belongs to the master of creation, upon him be peace and blessings, who is the greatest of the perfect or universal men [8]. Each of the other perfect or universal men has a relative, particular part in this great honor.

The Sufis maintain that in every century there is a helper or means of Divine help (ghawth) who is the leader of all the contemporary men of God, the door among people to the attainment of Divine assistance, the moderator of the spiritual realm or domain of existence, and the pivot of Divine gifts and blessings. If a helper is also a pole, his title is the greatest pole, and his rank is the status of the greatest pole.

Such a hero of spirituality who is honored with this rank has such capacities that not only ordinary people like us, but also those who have reached the final point of spiritual journeying are unable to perceive them. This rank is the most comprehensive mirror to the Divine Names, the essence of existence, and the greatest focus of the Truth of Muhammad. By virtue of this distinction, and by God’s leave, such a one is an authority entitled to represent the implementation of the Divine decrees under the leadership and protection of Haqiqa Ahmadiya (the Truth of Ahmad) [9] and in the light of the Lamp of Muhammad [10], upon him be peace and blessings.

The scholarly people of sainthood mention the names of such great saints as ‘Abdu’l-Qadir al-Jilani [11], Abu’l-Hasan al-Harakani [12], Shaykh al-Harrani [13], and Imam Rabbani [14], as those who have attained this rank in the history of Islam. These personages, who have combined the rank of being a pole with that of being a helper, are mentioned with the titles of “the greatest pole,” or “the greatest helper.” As they represent the status of being the greatest pole, they are also called “the pole of the poles.”

With respect to being the representatives of spiritual perfection, they are also regarded as the true heirs to the duties of Prophethood and the special, most distinguished representatives of succession to Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. It is undeniable that the purification of the carnal soul, refinement of the heart, and spiritual struggle all have an important part in the attainment of this rank. However, it should also be borne in mind that this rank is a special gift of God which He accords to whomever He wills. God Himself declares: That is God’s grace. He grants it to whom He wills. Surely God is of tremendous grace (62:4).

This elevated rank has sometimes been represented by a single individual, sometimes by a collective personality formed around God’s good pleasure through a sincere brother/sisterhood, and selfless unity and solidarity, or, quite possibly, by a community of Muslims which serves the true faith and the Qur’an purely for God’s sake.

Qutb (The Pole)

Qutb is the title of one who is the focus of the views of the earth and heaven’s inhabitants, the perfect vicegerent of God, the Ultimate Truth, the heir of the master of creation, upon him be peace and blessings, and the perfect, universal man who always exists among humankind.

After the pride of humanity, Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, this rank was represented by the first four Rightly-Guided Caliphs in order of succession, who were true successors to the duties of Prophethood. They were followed by the greatest scholars or the founders of Islamic Schools of Law, who had the capacity to deduce new laws from the Qur’an and the Sunna, the greatest saints, and the saintly scholars.

Together with the rank of helper, the rank of pole is also the greatest of spiritual ranks. While a helper is primarily distinguished by coming to the aid of others who are immured in difficulties, a pole may also be favored with the rank of helper and become a source of spiritual radiance and a reflector of God’s gifts. Being heir to the Truth of Muhammad, a pole represents a reflection of the master of creation, upon him be peace and blessings, under his guardianship in the age where he lives, and is a successor to him in his duties as a spiritual master.

By virtue of the special gifts with which he is honored, and by virtue of having been equipped with a special capacity in accordance with his duty, a pole is, like the North Star, a singular, chosen one upon whom the views of all the inhabitants of the earth and heavens are focused. This mysterious power station, which is always open to the metaphysical realms, has effects on the human outer and inner faculties that resemble the spirit’s control of the body. This power of penetration comes from this person’s knowledge of God; this knowledge of God originates in God’s Knowledge, Which in turn is an Attribute of the Divine Essence. With respect to his own essence, or when left to his own devices, a pole is like a drop of water—but a drop that contains the entire reflection of the sun by virtue of God’s favors upon him. Such a one is nothing but an atom, but that atom reflects all of the heavens. For in their essential nature, poles are nothing—they are zero—but they are equipped with such essential values and qualities that they reflect eternity.

With one of their eyes always scanning the physical dimension of existence, poles constantly observe the realms beyond with the other eye, in unceasing pursuit of the radiance of recognition or knowledge of God. They weave the spiritual lacework of existence with the silky threads of wisdom that pour into their hearts and

give them to those around them. Like the sun, they always give off light and illuminate all that is around them. And like a surging ocean, they bubble over from within and diffuse life into hearts.

Since poles have fully developed their innate capacities, they are heroes of extraordinary performance. They are perfect persons whose hearts are mirrors to the Archangel Israfil, and whose power of speech mirrors Gabriel, and whose power of attraction mirrors Michael, and whose power of repelling mirrors ‘Azrail. By virtue of this, they are each, in one respect, a focus of creation as a mirror to all realms, vicegerents of God in their age, special students and representatives of the Truth of Muhammad, rays of the first manifestation of existence beyond time, and luminous, transparent means for the conduction of Divine mysteries to all hearts. Being heirs to the Prophet, they establish new rules to acquire and deepen in knowledge of God and the Religion. The Shi‘a attribute this rank only to ‘Ali and the eleven Imams who descended from him through the Prophet’s beloved daughter, Fatima, and the last of whom is the Mahdi [15]; this is a restriction. God may accord this honor to whomever He wills among His servants who have been endowed with the necessary capacity and He may make Himself known through them.

The Sufi scholarly saints mention two types of pole, one being “the pole of guidance” and the other being “the pole of existence.” The “pole of guidance” represents the spirit of Prophethood as the owner of the greater rank of pole, while the “pole of existence” stands for the inner dimension of the Seal of Prophethood with the title of the Seal of Sainthood. The scholars who have expert knowledge of the matter hold the opinion that although in the same period there may be more than one pole of guidance, there can only be one pole of existence. The axis of whichever great angel honored with special nearness to God or whichever illustrated Prophet he journeys around, or the rug-seat of whichever saint he occupies, the Pole of existence always turns toward the light of the existence of the Pole of Prophethood, upon him be peace and blessings, and toward his spiritual assistance.

Although there are Sufi scholars who mention some people as the Poles of existence who have existed since the Prophet Adam, upon him be peace, this view has not received much acceptance. The majority of the experts in this matter agree that in every age the Pole of existence is mentioned with the title of ‘Abdullah (the

Servant of God) and ‘Abdu’l-Jami‘ (the Servant of the One Who Has All Excellences in the Infinite Degree).

All the information given so far is based on the spiritual discovery and observation of some talented saints. For this reason, more or less space can always be assigned to the subject. There may even be those who say different things on this matter. God knows best. Therefore, what I should finally do is to entreat God Almighty,

saying: “Our Lord, take us not to task if we forget or make mistakes! Our Lord, forgive us, then, our sins, and blot out from us our evil deeds, and take us to You in death, in the company of the truly godly and virtuous.”

O God! Show us truth as being true and enable us to follow it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and enable us to refrain from it. And bestow blessings and peace on the sole owner of the subtle essence and meaning of being Muhammad, the sun of the heavens of mysteries, the object of all lights, the pivot of the Divine Majesty, and the axis of the sphere of the Divine Grace and Beauty, and on his Family and Companions, the stars of guidance and the springs of assistance.

Notes

• Sayyid Ahmad ar-Rifai (1119–1183), the founder of the Rifai Order, and one of the greatest Sufi masters in the history of Islam, was born and lived in southern Iraq. He also had profound knowledge of Islamic religious sciences, including especially jurisprudence and Hadith. (Tr.)
• Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi (1200–1276) was one of the most outstanding Sufi masters, to whom the Badawi Order is attributed. He was born in Morocco. When he was six years old, his family emigrated to Makka. He spent the greatest part of his life in Tanta, Egypt. He was also well-versed in Islamic sciences. (Tr.)
• Michael is the Archangel who supervises the earth with its grass, plants, and animals, and represents or presents to God their glorifications and praises of Him. (Tr.)
• Israfil is one of the four Archangels. He will blow the Trumpet just before the end of the universe and for the resurrection of the dead. (Tr.)
• ‘Azrail is the Archangel charged with taking the souls of human beings. He is the angel of death. (Tr.)
• Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror (1432–1481) was the seventh Ottoman Sultan, and conquered Istanbul. (Tr.)
• Haqiqa Muhammadiya (the Truth of Muhammad): This term is essential to Sufism. It may be translated as the “reality of Muhammad” as God’s Messenger, the most beloved of God, the best example for all creation to follow, the embodiment of Divine Mercy, and the living Qur’an or embodiment of the Qur’anic way of life. (Tr.)
• For a detailed analysis of the perfect or universal Man, see M. Fethullah Gülen, Emerald Hills of the Heart – Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism, Tughra Books, NJ, 2004, Vol., 2, pp. 289–302. (Tr.)
• Haqiqa Ahmadiya ( the Truth of Ahmad) is the term used to designate the reality or the essence or the truth represented by the personality of Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, before his coming to the world and after his departure from the world. In one respect, it signifies the unparalleled sainthood of Prophet Muhammad. (Tr.)
• The Lamp of Muhammad signifies the light of Muhammad’s Messengership or the light of Islam or the way of Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings. (Tr.)
• ‘Abdu’l-Qadir al-Jilani (d. 1166): One of the most celebrated Sufi masters. A student of jurisprudence and Hadith, he became known as “the pole” of his age and the “the greatest means of Divine help.” Among his well-known books are Kitabu’l-Ghunyah, Futuhu’l-Ghayb, and Al-Fathu’r-Rabbani. (Tr.)
• ‘Ali ibn Ahmad Abu’l-Hasan al-Harakani (963–1033) is one of the most celebrated saints. He was born and lived in Harakan near Bastam in Iran. He lived as a poor farmer. He was martyred in fighting in Kars, a city in the farthest northeastern Turkey, and was buried there. (Tr.)
• Shakyh Hayat ibn Qays al-Harrani (d. 1185), is one of the most outstanding saints in the history of Islam. He was born in Baghdad and lived in Harran near Urfa, in southeastern Turkey. (Tr.)
• Imam Rabbani, Ahmad Faruq al-Sarhandi (d. 1624): The “reviver of the second millennium.” Born in Sarhand (India) and well-versed in Islamic sciences, he removed many corrupt elements from Sufism. He taught Shah Alamgir or Awrangzeb (d. 1707), who had a committee of scholars prepare the most comprehensive compendium of Hanafi Law. His work Maktubat (The Letters) is very famous and widely known throughout the Muslim world. (Tr.)
• The Mahdi, literally meaning one who guides to truth, is the title of the blessed person whose coming toward the end of time to re-establish the truth of Islam and justice on the earth was promised by God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. (Tr.)

Trust is a concept that is the foundation for everything we do in our lives. We utilize trust to establish and maintain our interactions with our family members, friends, business associates, other members of society, and any information technology we use. In our daily lives, we use statements like, “I trust my doctor,” “I trust my husband,” “I trust Google maps better,” or “I know my son is competent and honest, but I would not trust him to post a letter, because he is forgetful.” Then, what is trust? How can we build or rebuild it? What is the difference between trusting a “person” and trusting “abilities”? Why do you trust certain people and not others? How do you know them as trustworthy or untrustworthy? This article will explore these concepts in various contexts by showing an example from well-established studies.

Interpersonal trust has been studied extensively in the literature. One of the well-known definitions of trust is the “willingness of a party to be vulnerable to the action of another party based on the expectation that the other will perform a particular action important to the trustor, irrespective of the ability to monitor or control that other party” [1]. Willingness to be vulnerable is a key phrase and means opening oneself up to someone else. Mayer proposed three elements as the pillars of trust: ability, integrity, and benevolence. Together, the perception of these factors indicates the trustworthiness of a person in the eyes of others. Let’s explore these concepts one by one.

“Ability” is a group of skills, competencies, knowledge, and characteristics that allow an individual to have a certain influence in a specific domain [2]. It means that an individual must be knowledgeable or skillful in the area that is important to another individual who is the trustor (the person who gives trust). For instance, when I seek counsel for health issues as a patient, it is reasonable that I go to an individual with specific training in the medical area, such as a doctor. I would not go to someone who does not have knowledge or skills in medicine, such as a history teacher. That teacher may be trusted in education, but this does not mean he or she can be trusted to give advice in the medical field.

“Integrity” is the second pillar of trust, defined as “the trustor’s perception that the trustee adheres to a set of principles that the trustor finds acceptable” (Mayer et al., 1995, p. 719). In other words, each individual in the relationship must be on the same page regarding these principles. It is also critical to establish these principles for acceptability and adherence. They may be explicitly discussed but, more likely, implicitly assumed to exist and agreed upon. For instance, I am an academic, so I can give an example on sharing intellectual property. I would expect that anyone in my circle of colleagues who wanted to use or share with others something I had invented, written, or introduced to the field would ask me before doing so, because I have the same expectations of myself. In addition, following some sets of principles defines personal integrity [3]. However, if that set of principles is not deemed acceptable by the trustor, the trustee would not be considered to have integrity (also called “moral integrity”).

The last pillar of trust is called “benevolence.” Benevolence is “the extent to which a trustee is believed to want to do good to the trustor, aside from an egocentric profit motive” (Mayer et al., 1995, p. 718). Benevolence involves caring about the other person, not having a vested interest, and not benefiting from the relationship. For instance, you can offer advice and guidance to others, not expecting anything in return. Another example might be the relationship between the mentor (trustee) and the mentee (trustor). The mentor wants to help the mentee, even though the mentor is not required to be helpful and there is no extrinsic reward for the mentor. Benevolence is the perception of a positive orientation of the trustee toward the trustor.

Trust happens at the convergence of these three dimensions. Before we discuss how we can use these three individual dimensions to establish and maintain trust, I would also like to introduce the concept of “trust” versus “trustworthiness.” Should we aim to build trust or to be trustworthy? As individuals, it is much better to increase “trustworthiness” rather than trying to increase “trust.” In other words, first, we must establish qualities to be a trustworthy person, so people can trust us. Second, we should have more trust in the trustworthy but not in the untrustworthy. We are looking for trustworthiness before trust, because trust is the response, and trustworthiness is what we have to judge.

Rebuilding trust

Another common goal or task is “rebuilding trust.” How can we rebuild trust as an individual, group, or society? The response also lies in the concept of “trustworthiness.” First, we must understand that trust is distinctive since others give it. The best thing you can do is provide them with the basis and evidence for giving you their trust, so you have to be judged as trustworthy. This judgment requires us to look at three things: Are we competent? Are we honest? Are we reliable? And if we find that a person is competent in the relevant matters and reliable and honest, we will have a strong reason to trust them because they will be trustworthy. On the other hand, you may have a friend who is honest and competent but unreliable for certain tasks, and you may not trust them, especially for those tasks. Therefore, rebuilding trust also goes back to reestablishing qualities and pillars which will make you “trustworthy” again.

Let’s go back to the original “trust model” by Mayer: ability, integrity, and benevolence. We already defined what they mean; our last question now is, how can we use them to come up with a mathematical formula for “trustworthiness”? One formula could be as follows:

Trustworthiness = ability × integrity × benevolence [4]

In multiplication, if there is a zero among the factors, the product will be zero. If you get a zero in any of the pillars above (ability, integrity, or benevolence), your trustworthiness score will be, unfortunately, zero. On the other hand, if you score high in each pillar, your trustworthiness score will increase exponentially. This formula is especially essential for the critical roles such as “leaders” in the society.

Who are the top scorers in trustworthiness? Historically, the “Messengers of God” are among the most important figures for humanity. They had the most significant mission to guide and show the truth to the people of their time. Often, it was very dangerous for their followers to follow them and their teachings. Many of them were oppressed and even tortured. How could those people follow the messengers despite risking their own lives? Yes, the answer is trustworthiness. Those messengers were trustworthy to their followers and showed all the pillars and evidence of being trustworthy; thus, people trusted them and their teachings, and their legacy is still recognized after many centuries.

From another perspective, a great mission such as God’s messengership requires excellent qualifications. Being “trustworthy” is one of them. Chapter 26 (ash-Shu’ara) in the Holy Qur’an tells us about stories of various messengers and depicts their conversations with people. The messengers in the chapter were Noah, Hud, Salih, Lot, and Shu’ayb (peace be upon them). They all used precisely the same statement to prove that they were the Messenger, so they should be followed: “Surely, I am a Messenger to you, trustworthy” (107, 125,143, 162, 178). They all also emphasized “benevolence” by saying, “I ask of you no wage for that (for conveying God’s Message), my wage is due only from the Lord of the Worlds” (109). In other words, they expected no rewards from human beings for performing their missions.

Ali Ünal, an Islamic scholar, further explains these verses with a footnote in his translation of the Qur’an:

Trustworthiness and communication of God’s Message are two of the essentials of Messengership, the others being truthfulness, intelligence, sinlessness, and freedom from all bodily and mental defects. These are present in every Messenger. Truthfulness is the cornerstone of Messengership. No lies or deceit, whether explicit or implicit, were ever uttered by them. The second attribute of Messengership is amanah, an Arabic word meaning trustworthiness and which is derived from the same root as mu’min (believer). Being a believer implies being a trustworthy person. All Prophets were the best believers and, therefore, perfect exemplars of trustworthiness. To stress this principle, God summarizes the stories of five Prophets in this surah using the same statements: “Surely I am a Messenger to you, trustworthy” (107, 125, 143, 162, 178). Mu’min is also a Divine Name, for God is the ultimate Mu’min, the source of security and reliability. We put our trust in, confide in, and rely upon Him. He distinguished the Prophets by their trustworthiness, and our connection to Him through the Prophets is based entirely on their trustworthiness and reliability. [5]

We are all a part of our society as individuals, family members, and leaders. However, regardless of one’s role in society, the individuals who focus on building ability, integrity, and benevolence altogether are the ones considered trustworthy. Focusing on the three pillars, all of us need to work equally hard to develop our ability to deliver results; our integrity to “walk the walk”; and our benevolence to do well to others.

References

1) Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D. (1995). An integrative model of organizational trust. Academy of management review, 20(3), 709-734.

2) Gubbins, C., & MacCurtain, S. (2008). Understanding the dynamics of collective learning: The role of trust and social capital. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 10(4), 578-599.

3) McFall, L. (1987). Integrity. Ethics, 98(1), 5-20.

4) Obtained from https://www.koganpage.com/article/the-3-pillars-of-trust

5) Ünal, Ali. 2006. The Qur’an With Annotated Interpretation in Modern English.

Truthfulness is the firmest road leading to God, and the truthful are fortunate travelers upon it. Truthfulness is the spirit and essence of action and the true standard of straightforwardness in thought; it distinguishes believers from hypocrites, and the people of Paradise from the people of Fire. Truthfulness is a Prophetic virtue in those who are not Prophets, by which “servants” share the same blessings as “kings.” In the Qur’an, God Almighty described as being true both the one who communicated it and the one who confirmed it: He who came with the truth and he who declared that it is true (39:33).

Truthfulness can be defined as struggling to preserve one’s integrity and to avoid hypocrisy and lying, even in strained circumstances when a lie will cause release. Junayd al-Baghdadi says: “A loyal, truthful one changes states at least forty times a day (in order to preserve personal integrity), while a hypocrite remains the same for forty years without feeling any trouble or unease (over his or her deviation).”

The initial and lowest degree of truthfulness is sincerity and behaving the same whether in public or in private. This is followed by being true in all thoughts, feelings, actions, and intentions. The truthful are those valiant people whose feelings, thoughts, and actions do not contradict one another; the most truthful are those heroes who are absolutely true in all of their imaginations, intentions, feelings, thoughts, actions, and gestures.

Using all of one’s faculties and capacities to achieve truthfulness in all actions, adherence to a lofty ideal or cause, and loyalty to or steadfastness in it is an attribute of Prophethood. In the verse: Make mention of Abraham in the Book: he was a most truthful one, a Prophet (19:41), the Qur’an refers to this highest degree of truthfulness. Truthfulness is the primary attribute of all Prophets, and the strongest moral force or means-producing activity for serving Islam and the Qur’an. It is also a believer’s greatest credit and most valid document in the Hereafter. God draws our attention to this significant fact: This is a day in which their truthfulness profits the truthful (5:119).

Truthfulness serves the Prophets, the purified and perfected scholars and the saints brought near to God, as a heavenly mount that, as quick as lightning, can carry them to the highest heights; lying, however, pulls Satan and his followers down to the lowest depths. Thoughts “fly upward” on the wings of truthfulness and increase in value, actions grow and flourish on the ground of truthfulness, and truthful supplications and prayers reach the Throne of Mercy and are welcomed.

Truthfulness is as effective as the “elixir” of God’s Greatest Name. When asked about the Greatest Name, Bayazid al-Bistami answered:

Show me the Least Name among God’s Names so that I may show you the Greatest One. If there is something as effective (for the acceptability by God of prayers and actions) as the Greatest Name, it is truthfulness. Whichever Name is recited truthfully, It becomes the Greatest.

Truthfulness caused the light of repentance to shine on the forehead of Prophet Adam, upon him be peace. Truthfulness served as a vessel of salvation for Prophet Noah, upon him be peace, when the world was flooded. Truthfulness carried Prophet Abraham, upon him be peace, to safety and coolness from the fire into which he had been thrown. Truthfulness elevates ordinary people to extraordinary heights, and is a key that opens the door to realms and realities beyond visible existence. One borne aloft by truthfulness cannot be detained from journeying upward, and doors are not closed in the face of one who uses this key. How apt are the words of Rumi in this respect:

The truthfulness of a lover affects even the lifeless;
Why then should it be found strange that it affects man’s heart?
The truthfulness of Moses affected his staff and the mountain;
Nay, it also affected that great, splendid sea.
As for the truthfulness of Muhammad, it affected
The beautiful face of the Moon and also the shining Sun.

In many verses, the Qur’an relates that being a true believer depends upon one’s integrity and truthfulness in words, actions, feelings, and innermost senses. It also regards such a degree of integrity and truthfulness as the basis of happiness in both this world and the next. The following are a few examples:

– Say: My Lord, cause me to enter with truth, and cause me to go out with truth, and grant me a power from Your Presence to help me. (17:80)

– Grant me a good reputation, being remembered for truthfulness, in later generations. (26:84)

– Give to those who believe good tidings that they have a true, sure footing in the sight of their Lord. (10:2)

– The righteous are in the Gardens and rivers, on the seats of truthfulness in the Presence of a Mighty King. (54:54-5)

Entering with truth, going out with truth, being remembered for truthfulness, true and sure footing, and a seat of truthfulness are all stations of and provisions for a long road extending from this world to the Hereafter. Since what takes place in this world yields fruit in the Hereafter, the truthful always pursue what is true, observe truthfulness when starting a task or moving to another place in the way of God, act and live in accord with the requirements of truthfulness, and bequeath truthfulness to succeeding generations. Their objective is to deserve eternal happiness in the Hereafter.

To become truthful in intentions and aims, believers must consciously decide to become truthful in their thoughts, decisions, and acts. This is the first step. Those so resolved must persist in truthfulness, regardless of the consequences, and refrain from whatever might shake their resolution. The second step is to maintain this worldly life only to support the truth and gain God’s approval and pleasure. Such people are always aware of the defects and faults of their selfhood, and do not surrender to the world’s attractions and change their conditions for worldly reasons. The third step is to establish truthfulness so firmly in one’s conscience that it governs every facet of life. This is identical with the station of being pleased, which is explained in the Tradition: One who is pleased with God as the Lord and Islam as the religion and Muhammad as the Prophet has tasted the delight of belief.

The greatest truthfulness and loyalty is for people to be pleased with the Lordship of God regardless of the treatment He dispenses, to accept Islam as the Divine system governing their lives, and to submit willingly to the guidance or leadership of the best of creation, upon him be peace and blessings. The way to true humanity lies in undertaking this grave responsibility, which is very difficult to fulfill perfectly.

Let us conclude with a fine couplet:

What befits man is truthfulness even if under threat;
God Almighty is the helper of the truthful.