When honesty is lost, then wait for the Hour (the Day of Judgment). Prophet Muhammad.

These words equate the loss of honesty to the destruction of the entire world.

Honesty incorporates the concepts of truthfulness and reliability and it resides in all human thought, words, actions and relationships. It is more than just accuracy; it is more than just truthfulness, it denotes integrity or moral soundness. All faith traditions demand truthfulness and forbid lying.

In the Quran God commands: “O you who believe! Fear God, and be with those who are true (in word and deeds).” (Quran 9:119)

The message of Prophet Muhammad (sws) started on the basis of honesty.

In the books of biography of the Prophet, it is mentioned that he gathered all the people of Mecca and asked them, “O people of Mecca! If I say that an army is advancing on you from behind the mountains, will you believe me?” All said in one voice, “Yes, because we have never heard you telling a lie.” For forty years that the Prophet lived among the people they knew his impeccable honesty.

How should we understand honesty?

Honesty means choosing not to lie, steal, cheat, or deceive in any way. Be honest with yourself, others, and God at all times.

With honesty we can build strength of character that will allow us to be of service to God and all of humanity.

Here are some reminders to help us realize honesty:

1. If you are in school do not cheat in any way. Cheating does not lead to success.
2. If you are working be honest in your job, giving a full amount of work for your pay.
3. Do not rationalize dishonest behavior.
4. Do not make commitments that you are not sure about but if you make a commitment make sure you carry it out.
5. Do not make up stories to make yourself look better.
6. Accept mistakes and decide to face the consequences. In the long run you will reap the reward of honesty.
7. People who feel good about themselves are less likely to lie.
8. Avoid situations in which others may ask you to lie for them.

We may have a tendency to mislead but we expect others to be honest. We need to live our lives so that our thoughts and behavior are always in harmony with ourselves and others around us.

In our connected world we know that it is now more difficult to hide certain things. People avoid misrepresentation because eventually others can find out the truth on social media but before we fear being exposed on social media we need to remind ourselves that we have been created by God who is the ALL KNOWING.