Truth Hurts

 Truth Hurts.

The universe is made of opposites to help us distinguish one thing from other. we come to appreciate and distinguish one shade from other so that we can know the true nature of things. We know what disorder is when we have a complete awareness of what the order is? Similarly we will not be able to know what the truth is unless lie is clear to us. 

The Holy Quran has clearly presented before us the truth, half truth, and lie. The Touchstone of Truth and Lie is the Holy Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet peace be upon him. 

Truth is difficult to speak and listen to, so, generally, we prefer to listen what is not true. Personally, professionally, traditionally, we like to exaggerate everything, exaggeration is where lie resides. Truth is crisp, short, concise, without coloring of any kind. Truth demands honesty, straightforwardness, bluntness, which nobody likes. The person who always speaks the truth will have a fewer liking than the person who is prone to speak lies – a favorable to the family, friends, and colleagues. Truth is a surgeon who has to perform a dissection without having a mercy for the patient because if he shows mercy, he cannot save life of the patient. On the other hand, lie is like a beauty parlor who has to present his skill while covering the flaws in the person and present before others what he or she is not.

“Truth may hurt for a little while but lie hurts forever”. If you speak a truth, it will become a part of your past but if you lie it becomes a part of your future.” So, the choice is your – past or future. Live with a conscience prick while speaking lies or live like a free bird who soars high because of the light weight it has had. Lie is a weight which hinders your flight to the highest skies. Truth becomes a past sooner or later but lie never leave you unattended, it keeps you haunted, fearing its exposure one goes on creating new ones just to cover the earliest one.

Actually, we lie just to please other, pleasing other is a never-ending gyre and then one fine morning you find yourself in the quagmire of lies, and its tentacles have scratched all of your body, spilling blood, and is eating you away like a zombie.

If a person goes on speaking the truth, Allah writes his name in the truthful, and announces his name among the angels then the angels announce his name as a truthful person in the heart of the people so he becomes famous for his truth, people believe in whatever he says or does but if a person becomes habitual of speaking lies, Allah writes his name among the liars and announces his name among the angels as a liar who then declare him as such. People start disbelieving whatever he says or does.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ

O you who believe! be careful of (your duty to) Allah and be with the true ones. (Surah Tawbah 9:119)

Truth is a hallmark of great leaders and an attribute whose dividends one can never fathom while lie is a liability which remains hanging over the head and becomes a permanent burden on one’s conscience.

The Messengers of Allah, great Leaders, who carved a permanent niche in the heart and minds of the posterity followed the righteous path of truth and lead the nation to their destinations.

We should strive to speak truth but the truth which may put a match to hostilities among people may be avoided. In such circumstances “silence is golden” is a best rule to follow. Lie to curry favor or to make people laugh should always be avoided. You cannot always make people happy or have their enduring favor with your habit of lying as these are prone to be exposed and one loses respect forever.

Practicing truth will ultimately, although slowly gets you respect while lie will fetch ephemeral respect and love which fades away as truth is bound to surface soon. So set your eyes on a permanent and lasting goal of telling truth and respect rather instant and fleeting praise earned by telling concocted and bizarre truths.