اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ بِجَمِیعِ مَحَامِدِه کُلِّهَا عَلَی جَمِیعِ نِعَمِهِ کُلِّهَا… اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ مالِکِ الْمُلْکِ مُجْرِی الْفُلْکِ مُسَخِّرِ الرِّیاحِ فالِقِ الاْصْباحِ دَیّانِ الدّینِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمینَ اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی حِلْمِهِ بَعْدَ عِلمِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی عَفْوِهِ بَعْدَ قُدْرَتِهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ عَلی طُولِ اَناتِهِ فی غَضَبِهِ وَهُوَ قادِرٌ عَلی ما یُریدُ
Praise is to God with all his praises, for all his blessings. . . Praise is to God, the owner of the property, the operator of the orbit, the bender of the wind, the glory of the morning, the religion of the beliefs, lord of the worlds; praise is to God for his dream after his knowledge and thank God for forgiveness after his power, and praise be to God for his long patience in his wrath and he is capable to do what he wills
و نشهد أن لا اله الا الله وحده لا شریک له، و أَنَّ محمداً عبده و رسوله ارسله بالهدی و دین الحق لیظهره علی الدین کله و لو کره المشرکون اوصیکم عبادالله و نفسی بتقوی الله و اتباع امره و نهیه، و اخوفکم من عقابه
And we bear witness that there is no god but God alone, without partner, and that Muhammad is his servant and messenger, he sent him with guidance and the religion of truth, that he might proclaim it over all religion, even if the polytheists hated it.
Thirty-fifth sign of the pious:
يَعْتَرِفُ بِالْحَقِّ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُشْهَدَ عَلَيْهِ،
He confesses to the truth before a witness can testify against him,
In court, one side always claims and the other side denies. The judge asks the complainant to present his evidence to the court, if he has evidence to substantiate his claim. Adducing testimony and offering reasons are for the wrongdoer who does not admit his mistake and denies his guilt. But this is not the case with the pious. If they have a right over others, they will surely admit it immediately, so that the rightful person does not feel worried about losing his right, at all.
One may ask how pious people commit a mistake that requires confession?! The answer is that inaccuracies and mistakes are not allowed only in the sanctity of the pure prophets and imams, and other human beings are not infallible in this area, and they may commit a mistake and encounter forgetfulness, which leads to rights that are obligatory for them.
The pious know well that the punishment of this world is far easier than the penalty of the hereafter and the wrath of the almighty God. The holy Quran instructs the believers:
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَداءَ لِلَّهِ وَ لَوْ عَلى أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوالِدَيْنِ وَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ إِنْ يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيراً فَاللَّهُ أَوْلى بِهِما فَلا تَتَّبِعُوا الْهَوى أَنْ تَعْدِلُوا وَ إِنْ تَلْوُوا أَوْ تُعْرِضُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كانَ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيراً (نساء:135)
O you who have faith! Be maintainers of justice and witnesses for the sake of Allah, even if it should be against yourselves or [your] parents and near relatives, and whether it be [someone] rich or poor, for Allah has a greater right over them. So do not follow [your] desires, lest you should be unfair, and if you distort [the testimony] or disregard [it], Allah is indeed well aware of what you do. (Nesa: 135)
Confession to divine right and help
In an introduction to the most pious people, the messenger of God, peace and blessings of God is upon him, said:
أَتْقَى النَّاسِ مَنْ قَالَ الْحَقَّ فِيمَا لَهُ وَ عَلَيْهِ؛
The most pious people are those who tell the truth, both where it is good for them and where it is bad for them. (La Yakhzaraho Alfaghih: Volume 4, page 395)
Imam Sajjad (as), in the last moments of his honorable life, instructs his dear son to be patient with the truth. Imam Baqir (as) says:
لَمَّا حَضَرَتْ أَبِي عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحُسَيْنِ علیهماالسّلام الْوَفَاةُ ضَمَّنِي إِلَى صَدْرِهِ وَ قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ أُوصِيكَ بِمَا أَوْصَانِي بِهِ أَبِي حِينَ حَضَرَتْهُ الْوَفَاةُ وَ بِمَا ذَكَرَ أَنَّ أَبَاهُ أَوْصَاهُ بِهِ، يَا بُنَيَّ اصْبِرْ عَلَى الْحَقِ وَ إِنْ كَانَ مُرّاً؛
When the time came for the death of my father, Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him), he hugged me to his chest and said: My son! I bequeath to you what my father bequeathed to me at the time of his death; and what his father bequeathed to him: O my son! Wait for the right, even if it is bitter. (Alkafi, Volume 2, page 91)
Imam Ali b. Abi Talib states in the treaty of Malik Ashtar:
الْحَقُّ كُلُّهُ ثَقِيلٌ وَ قَدْ يُخَفِّفُهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى أَقْوَامٍ طَلَبُوا الْعَاقِبَةَ فَصَبَّرُوا نُفُوسَهُمْ وَ وَثِقُوا بِصِدْقِ مَوْعُودِ اللَّهِ لِمَنْ صَبَرَ وَ احْتَسَبَ فَكُنْ مِنْهُمْ وَ اسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ؛
The truth is all heavy, and God makes it easy and light for the people who seek the end (of the hereafter), so they are patient people and trust in the truth of what God has promised to the patient. So be one of them and seek help from God. (TohafologholT page 142)
Sometimes the truth is bitter and heavy for man, but if man steps in the way of God and does not sell the hereafter to the fleeting goods of this world, then unseen and divine help will come and the bitterness and weight of truth will be sweet and comfortable to him. This is God’s promise in the Qur’an:
وَ الَّذِينَ جاهَدُوا فِينا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنا وَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ؛
As for those who strive in Us, We shall surely guide them in Our ways, and Allah is indeed with the virtuous. (Ankaboot: 69)
Evil trick
One of the tricks of the devil in misleading his servants is that he makes the truth more difficult and ugly than it is, and instead makes the false very sweet and comfortable and hassle-free. Sin is always adorned and pleasing in the sinner’s mind by Satan, so that he becomes so greedy and ready to accept the sin, unless it is rare for human beings to commit a sin. Imam Ali warns against this point and says:
اصْبِرْ عَلَى مَضَضِ مَرَارَةِ الْحَقِّ وَ إِيَّاكَ أَنْ تَنْخَدِعَ لِحَلَاوَةِ الْبَاطِل؛
Stand for the bitter pain of the truth and be careful not to be deceived by false sweetness. (Oyoonolhekam Almava’ez, page 86)
The result of telling the truth
Confession of truth has a special place in the sight of the almighty God, and accordingly, the wise lord does not leave this valuable deed unrewarded in the world and the hereafter. Imam Sadiq (as) says:
اصْبِرْ عَلَى الْحَقِ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَصْبِرْ أَحَدٌ قَطُّ عَلَى الْحَقِّ إِلَّا عَوَّضَهُ اللَّهُ مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ؛
Stand for the truth, no one waited for the truth unless God gave him what was best for him in return. (Veram Collection, Volume 1, page 17)