There is an account narrated about Syed Abdul-Qadir Jilani, may Allah have mercy on him, that when he set out away from home for the purpose of his education, his noble mother sewed his share of eighty coins into the underarm of his shirt and advised him: ‘Son, do not lie.’ When Syed Abdul-Qadirrh departed, on the first day of his journey he passed through a jungle that was inhabited by a large band of thieves and robbers. A party of robbers confronted and apprehended him. The robbers asked: ‘What have you in your possession?’ Syed Abdul-Qadirrh thought to himself that he was being tested in the first stage of his journey; he reflected over his mother’s advice and said: ‘I have eighty coins which my noble mother has sewn into the underarm of my shirt.’ The robbers were extremely surprised on hearing this and said: ‘What is this dervish saying! We have never seen such a righteous man!’ They took him and putting him before their chief, related the entire story. When the chief questioned him, Syed Abdul-Qadir Jilanirh gave the same response. Finally, when his shirt was torn at the place that he had described, it turned out that there were indeed eighty coins sewn into his shirt. All the robbers were astonished and the chief asked why Syed Abdul-Qadirrh had told them the truth. At this, Syed Abdul-Qadir Jilanirh mentioned the advice that his mother had given him before he departed. He said: ‘I have set out as a student of religion. If I had told a lie at the very first stage of my journey, what could I ex- pect to attain? And so, I chose to stand by the truth.’ When Syed Abdul-Qadirrh said these words, the chief burst into tears, fell at his feet and repented for his sins. It is said that this chief was the first follower of Syed Abdul-Qadir Jilanirh.
In short, truth is a thing that delivers a person in even the most trying and difficult of times. Sa’di is true when he says:
كس ندىدم كہ گم شد از رہ راست
Never have I seen go astray the one who treads the right path.
Therefore, the more a person adopts the truth and develops a love for the truth, the deeper a love and understanding they develop for the Word of God and also for His Prophets, because they are an example and source for all those who are truthful. This principle is also prevalent in the following instruction:
كُوۡنُوۡا مَعَ الصّٰدِقِىۡنَ
Be with the truthful.
(Malfuzat [English], Vol. 2, pp. 84-85)
