Truthfulness is Salvation (2)

Truthfulness is salvation, even if one thinks it will cause him loss. 

Sheikh Abd al-Qādir Gīlānī  narrated that he based his life on truthfulness. When I was going to Baghdad to seek knowledge with a caravan, my mother gave me forty dinars and asked me to promise her to be truthful. When the caravan reached Hamadan, a group of thieves attacked us. They took all the belongings of the people.

One of them passed by me, and asked me, “What do you have?”

I said, “Forty dinars.” He thought I was mocking him, so he left me.

Another man saw me, and said, “What do you have?” I said the same answer, therefore, he took me to their leader who asked me the same question, and I answered him the same answer.

He said, “Why have you said the truth?” I said, “I promised my mother to be truthful, and I fear to betray her promise.”

The leader cried, and tore his clothes. Then he said, “You fear to betray your mother’s promise, and I do not fear to betray the covenant of Allah.” 

After that, he commanded his men to give back to the people of the caravan their belongings.

Then he said,

 “I have repented to Allah because of you.” 

Then, his men said, “You were our leader in robbery, and you are our leader in repentance.” Then they all repented.

[Nuzaht al-Majãlis wa Muntakhab an-Nafã’s]