Allah, the Almighty, said:

{…And when the matter was determined, if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them.} [Muḥammad 47:21]³⁰⁶

Truthfulness is a name for the reality of a particular thing/event, concerning its transpiring or existence.³⁰⁷ It is of three levels:

The first level is the truthfulness of intent, and it is through this that admission into this affair becomes validated, and through it any negligence may be avoided, any missed (opportunity) may be reclaimed, and any ruins may be rehabilitated.³⁰⁸
The signs of this truthful person are:

1. he/she would not tolerate any call to breaching the covenant³⁰⁹


2. he/she would not stand the company of the dissenters³¹⁰


3. his/her resolve does not waver

The second level:

1. to not wish longevity except for the True One³¹¹


2. to see in him/herself nothing but the penalties of deficiency


3. to avoid the indulgences of concessions³¹²

The third level is truthfulness in recognizing truthfulness, for truthfulness is not actualized, according to the understanding of the elite, except in one case: when there is full congruency between the pleasure of the Lord and the actions of the servant, his/her state, moments, certitude, and intent.³¹³ The servant thereby becomes pleasing (to his/her Lord) and well pleased with Him. His/her actions will then be accepted, his/her states will be true, and his/her intentions will be straight. However, if the servant is dressed in a borrowed garment,³¹⁴ the best of his/her deeds will be a sin, the truest of their states will be falsehood, and the purest of their intents will be idleness.

³⁰⁶ The focus here is about truthfulness with Allah, which is the most important type of truthfulness and origin of all others. Allah also demands us to be true to ourselves and others.
³⁰⁷ Truthfulness is about consistency between statements and realities, words and actions, interior and exterior, claims and proofs, etc.
³⁰⁸ Once the intent is pure and you are not lying to yourself about it, all wrong can be rectified.
³⁰⁹ Not only will you not entertain these calls; you will be repulsed by them.
³¹⁰ Dissenters of the path to God will cause instantaneous aversion in you. You will smell insincerity, inconsistency, arrogance, prejudice, heedlessness, and other vices in their speech or conduct. Mixing with them will be only for the common good, for their benefit if you can help them recover from their illness, or for your worldly benefit as long as you need to be in their company.
³¹¹ To continue to earn His pleasure.
³¹² The concessions that should be avoided are those of following weak positions or dubious matters. However, the concessions prescribed by Allah are loved by Him.
³¹³ And the only one who can guide us to the pleasure of Allah is the receiver of His Revelation, His Messenger, Muhammad ﷺ.
³¹⁴ One wears a pretentious garment that is not his/hers when they speak, act, or dress like the pious, without having their hearts and intentions.