Chapter #9: Truthfulness

Q.1) What care should a Muslim take while talking? Can a Muslim be a liar?
Ans.) A Muslim should see that everything he speaks is true because a true
Muslim cannot be a liar.
Q.2) Is it good to boast and tell lies about ourselves?
Ans.) No, it is not good at all to boast and tell lies about ourselves.
Q.3) Does telling the truth mean that we should tell everything we know?
Ans.) No, telling the truth does not mean that we should tell everything we know.
Q.4) What are the rewards of being Truthful?
Ans.) 1. Truthfulness leads to success.
2. Life of a Truthful person is made upright.
3. People put their trust in him.
4. Truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise.
Q.5) What did Allah’s Messenger (S.A.W.) say about lying?
Ans.) “Beware of lying for lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to hell.
If a man lies and persists in it, he will be recorded with Allah as a liar.”
Q.6) What is result of lying?
Ans.) A lying person is shunned and hated. No one respects a liar. No one can put
his trust in liar. No one has confidence in a person who tells lie. A liar drops out a
very bad smell in the air. Devils descend upon every sinful liar. A liar will go to
Hell because of his sins.
Q.7) What are some of the ways in which people deceive others?
Ans.) People who are shopkeepers, they may deceive others by using false weight
and measures, a firm owner can deceive his employees, an exporter can deceive in
the goods and items he is exporting by sending not qualitative items and adulterating
products for sale. Some people do forgery in documents or sign dud cheques and by
making fake currency notes.
Q.8) What are the various types of lies?
Ans.) There are various types of lies like; white lie, April fool, jokes, jocose,
slandering, blaming,
Q.9) What are the various forms of Truthfulness?
Ans.) Truthfulness may classified into three types:
1- Truthfulness of Speech, 2- Truthfulness of Action, 3- Truthfulness of Intention.
Q.10) Can a jocose lie be ever permitted? What has Allah’s Messenger (SAW) said
about people who tell lies merely to amuse others? What is the end of such people
who take pleasure from this habit?
Ans.) Telling a lie to amuse others is a Jocose lie. Prophet (S.A.W.) said, “Woe to
him who tells lie just to make people laugh. A man speaks a word merely to amuse
others and he is thrown into the farthest place on its account.”
Q.11) What is the duty of one who finds lost articles or goods?
Ans.) Anyone who finds an article, item or goods lying on the ground. He should
keep it as a trust with him." He should make its announcement till one year. Even
after that he does not find its real master and owner. Then he may utilize it, but it’s
better to keep it as a trust. If the thing is valueless then no problem, he may own it.
We may deposit in found and lost section of our state.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: (Activity-C)

Q.1- What is calumny?

Ans:- Calumny is the making of false and defamatory statements about someone in
order to damage his or her reputation. It is a kind of lie which is harmful for the
people’s good fame and name.

Q.2- Is falsehood always bad?

Ans:- No falsehood is not always bad but sometimes it seems good and fruitful
resultantly, when any betterment of a community, society or family is in its
objectives. If there is a matter of public interest to get peace and adjustment of
differences among the two men, two families, two tribes or two groups then
according to situation if not harmful for others it may work and is not sin and bad.

Q.3- Dishonesty is the most wicked type of falsehood. Explain this quoting a
Hadith in your answer.

Ans:- Dishonesty is the most wicked type of falsehood. Once Prophet (S.A.W.)
came upon a stack of grain. His curiosity was aroused. He inserted his hand into it,
and his fingers touched something wet. “What is this, O Merchant? Said he. The
Merchant replied, “It has been affected by the rain.” “Then why did you not put it
on the top of the stack so that people could see it? He who deceives us, is not of us.”

Q.4- The Muslims of earlier times were very honest and truthful. Discuss.

Ans:- Yes the Muslims of earlier times were very honest and truthful. They had not
been deceiving and cheating others merely to get the worldly temporary benefit. So
once Ibn-e-Sirin (R.A.) sold a sheep but he told him its defect prior to sell it, “that it
kicks the fodder”.

Q.5- What is the value of intention in our life?

Ans:- Intention in our life is very valuable and important. Umar (R.A.) narrated
Hadith of Prophet (S.A.W.) that, “Verily, the actions are by the intentions, and for
every person is what he intended”.

Q.6- The first of the three to fuel the fire of hell will be the martyr, the
scholar and the rich. Why?

Ans:- These three the martyr, the scholar and the rich will be thrown into the Hell
first of all to fuel the fire because they all three were doing extra ordinary efforts in
their field of expertise only to get fame by show off to get the people’s appreciation
and not for Allah’s cause.

Chapter #14: Istighfar: Seeking forgiveness

CHECK UP: (Activity-A)

Q.1- What is the result of sinning?

Ans:- The result of sins is not good. When a man commits sin, it leaves a black dot
on his heart. If he again commits sin repeatedly then the number of dots increases
on his heart till it fully blinds up the heart. The result is it weakens the faith and is a
cause of Allah’s anger, and it brings the sinner away from Allah and His mercy.

Q.2- What should we do when we sin unfortunately? What is true repentance?

Ans:- When we have sinned, we should not lose hope and sit idle in despair. Allah
is Merciful and He told us that as many times a person commits sins and then ask
forgiveness from Allah and he repents to Him. Allah is always there to forgive him.
So a believer should not be hopeless and despair but he should be full of hope that
My Lord will forgive me readily. A man should feel sincere regret after sinning
within himself. After the repentance he should make a firm resolve that I will not
again commit sin. This is true repentance.

Q.3- In what measure will Allah forgive us? Discuss this in the light of Hadith
quoted in this chapter.

Ans:- Allah can forgive us all our sins except the act of Shirk. So if our sins are too
much till reaching and touching the clouds of the sky. This is only example one man
can’t do this much sins. But suppose his sins are too much but not more than the
Mercy of Allah and if a servant of Allah asks His forgiveness by repenting to Him.
Allah is ready to forgive all his sins and Allah will not bother and not mind it. None
is there to ask Him or question Him at all. Allah is ever ready to respond to our
calls, as this act pleases Him that a servant after sinning came to Him regretfully.

(Activity: B)
Discussion questions:

Q.1- What is sin? How many kinds of sins are there?

Ans:- Islam defines sin as an act which goes against the teachings of Allah. There
are two kinds of sins:
1- Major sins
2- Minor sins
Major sins are heinous sins or great sins which are not forgiveable except a true
repentance, while minor sins are tiny and little sins which Allah forgives by doing
some good deeds after these shortcomings.

Q.2- What should we do if our mind is invaded by bad thoughts?

Ans:- We should leave thinking bad and do something positive and keep ourselves
busy in something useful and meaningful than sitting idle. Idle brain is a devil’s
workshop. He approaches to man and instigate in his heart and mind some bad ideas
and evil thoughts.

Q.3- How can we obtain strength from Allah for keeping us away from sins?

Ans:- We can obtain strength from Allah by remembering Him much, by offering
Salah, reciting the Qur’an and making du’as and asking forgiveness of our sins. We
can ask from Allah the power to do good deeds. Similarly we should ask Allah’s
refuge from rebellious Satan, his deceiving plans and plots and all types of evils and
acts of Satan.

Q.4- When does a venial sin turn into a major one?

Ans:- A venial or a minor sin turns into major sin when repeatedly and many times
it is committed without feeling sorry or regret and a sinner is not ready to ask
forgiveness from Allah. So this behavior of not making repentance to Allah and
having courage to repeat a tiny and minor sin again and again makes it a major sin.

Q.5- Mention a few of the major sins.

Ans:- The major sins in Islam include the following behaviors:

Associating partners with God (Shirk or Polytheism), murder, adultery or

fornication, theft, consuming usury (interest), stealing from an orphan’s estate,
bearing false witness, engaging in magic or fortune-telling, abandoning the
battlefield during a time of war, drinking alcohol, slandering chaste women,
disrespecting one’s parents.

(Activity: C)

Q.- Write a paragraph on the following:

The ways of staying out of the trouble of sins.

(Activity: D)

Learn the wording of the various “Istighfar” mentioned in this chapter and
practice them in your daily life.

Chapter #17: The Fasting and Lailat-ul-Qadr

CHECK UP: (Activity-A)

Q.1- What is Fasting?

Ans:- Fasting is to abstain from eating, drinking and conjugal relations from dawn
to dusk in the month of Ramadan
Q.2- What is the purpose of Fasting?

Ans:- The purpose of fasting is to achieve piety. A Muslim becomes mindful of

Allah and scares from Him. A fast observer realize the hunger and thirst of the poor
needy, deprived and destitute people.
Q.3- On whom is the Fasting obligatory?

Ans:- Fasting is obligatory on healthy, adult and sane Muslims.

Q.4- Mention some of the virtues and benefits of fasting?

Ans:- During the month of Ramadan Allah opens the gates of Mercy and the gates
of Hell are locked the devils are chained and shut. Past sins of a fast observer are
forgiven.

Q.5- What is true Fasting?

Ans:- True fasting is to be away from telling lies, bad words abusing, backbiting,
cheating, defrauding and hurting others.
Q.6- What is “Suhur”? When should one eat “Suhur”?

Ans:- Suhur is the pre-dawn meal taken in Ramadhan. Suhur must be taken before
the Azan of Fajr Prayer.
Q.7- What is Iftar?

Ans:- Iftar is the breaking of fast at the setting of the sun.

Q.8- Mention a few of the causes that annul a fast.

Ans:- 1. Deliberately eating or drinking during fasting hours.

2. Deliberately vomiting.
3. Conjugal relations during fasting hours.
4. Smoking or sniffing powdered substances.
5. Menstruation in case of women.
Q.9- What is the Lailat ul Qadr? What is the reward of passing the Lailat ul
Qadr in prayer?

Ans:- Laylat-ul-Qadr is the Night of Power. It is the night in which the revelation
of the Holy Qur’an was started to send down with the first five verses of Surah Al-
A’laq. The reward of passing the Laylat-ul-Qadr in prayer is the forgiveness of all
past sins.

Chapter #18: The Zakat-ul-Fitr

Q.1- Mention some of the virtues of the Fasting?

Ans:- During the month of Ramadan Allah opens the gates of Mercy and the gates
of Hell are locked the devils are chained and shut. Past sins of a fast observer are
forgiven.
Q.2- What is the Zakat-ul-Fitr?

Ans:- Zakat-ul-Fitr means the purifying dues given on ending the fast of Ramadan.
It is a charity given as an act of purification. This is usually equivalent to the price
of one good meal for each member of the family and is used for the relief of the poor
and the needy enabling them to share the festivities.
Q.3- On whom it is binding?

Ans:- Zakat-ul-Fitr is obligatory on each and every Muslim who possesses more
than he needs; to give a specified portion for the relief of the poor and the needy. It
is levied on individuals not on goods like money, silver and cattle.
Zakat Al-Fitr is an obligation upon every Muslim, grown-up or a child regardless of
the gender, as long as they have what is sufficient to feed them for a day or longer.
The head of the family pays for every single member of the family

Q.4- What is the difference between Zakat and Zakat-ul-Fitr?

Ans:- ZAKAH:

* Zakah is one of the five pillars of Islam.

* Zakah can be given any time of the year
* Zakah is obligatory only on rich Muslims
* Zakah is levied on cash and kind.

ZAKATUL-UL-FITR:
* It is not one of the five pillars of Islam

* It must be given on the day of Id-ul-Fitr or a day or two before the day of Id
* Zakatul Fitr is obligatory on every Muslim who possesses more than he needs.
* Zakatul Fitr is levied on individuals.

Q.5- What is it’s main aim?

Ans:- The main aim is to allow the poor and the needy to enjoy the annual momemts
of Id-ul- Fitr with the other families of their society.

Q.6- What does Zakat-ul-Fitr purify?

Ans:- It purifies the fasters of their errors, mistakes and short comings that happened
in the month of Ramadan. After the purification of our deeds and actions it enables
them to be presented in front of Allah in a good form of acceptance.

It helps to perfect the fast, because good deeds are to remove the evil deeds.

Q.7- Who are entitled to receive the Zakat ul Fitr? When should it be paid?

Ans:- Following eight categories mentioned in the Holy Quran are entitled to
receive Zakat as well as Zakat-ul-Fitr:
1. The Poor(Fuqara)
2. The Needy (Masakeen)
3. The workers (Those employed to collect the fund)
4. Those whose hearts are to be consoled(those who have been inclined
towards Islam)
5. The prisoners (to free the captives)
6. The debtors (those in debt)
7. Those who are striving hard in the way of Allah (those fighting in the cause
of Allah)
8. The travelers (the wayfarer or traveler)
It should be paid either a couple of days before Id-ul-Fitr or on the day of
Id-ul-Fitr but before offering the Id-ul-Fitr prayer.

Q.8- Your parents or guardians must have paid the Zakat-ul-Fitr on your
behalf last year at the end of Ramadan. Find out its quantity.