عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بن مسعود ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ، فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ، وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَصْدُقُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الصِّدْقَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللهِ صِدِّيقًا، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ، فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ، وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَكْذِبُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الْكَذِبَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللهِ كَذَّابًا».
‘Abdullāh ibn Mas’ūd narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
1. Always state the truth. Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Heaven. A person will continue to tell the truth and make sure of the truth until he is recorded with God as truthful.
2. Do not lie. Lying leads to transgression, and transgression leads to Hell. A person will continue to lie and make sure of lying until he is recorded with God as a liar.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) tells us that truthfulness leads to every good thing and this naturally secures admission into Heaven. A person will habitually continue to tell the truth until he earns the rank of the truthful. By contrast, lying is the way leading to all sorts of sin, which naturally leads to Hell. A person will become a habitual liar until he is labelled as a liar.
