Quranic Terminology: Truth/True/Truly/Truthful: (7) If You Are Truthful

Published in November 21, 2017

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Introduction:

1- Almighty God has the right – and He is the One to give people the Truth in His Book – to say to human beings to do this or that if they are truthful or true believers. It is easy for some human beings to claim being truthful persons or true believers, but this is tested to prove this truthfulness and belief. When disbelievers denied the Truth conveyed by the prophets/messengers of God, they asked them to perform miracles if they were truthful. Hence, the phrase (if you are truthful) is mentioned in the Quran in the contexts of God talking to human beings and in the contexts about disbelievers stubbornly accusing prophets/messengers of being liars and denying the Truth they conveyed.     

2- We provide some details about this topic in the points below.

Firstly: truthfulness means belief, (if you are truthful) means (if you are true believers):

 Among the arguments of disbelievers among the People of the Book in their rejection of the Quran is that they believe only in their own scriptures and never in any revealed Book that came later on. God defies them by posing the question to them about their ancestors who murdered some prophets: "And when it is said to them, "Believe in what God has revealed," they say, "We believe in what was revealed to us," and they reject anything beyond that, although it is the truth which confirms what they have. Say, "Why did you kill God's prophets before, if you are believers?"" (2:91). We notice here the expression used by God: (if you are believers). We notice the expression (if you are truthful) within a similar context to refute claims by the People of the Book: "Those who said, "God has made a covenant with us, that we shall not believe in any messenger unless he brings us an offering to be consumed by fire." Say, "Messengers have come to you before me with proofs, and with what you asked for; so why did you assassinate them, if you are truthful?"" (3:183). This means that belief and truthfulness are synonymous in the Quran. 

Secondly: ponderings about the phrase (if you are truthful) used in contexts of God addressing human beings:

1- Middle-Eastern tyrants until now are too arrogant and disdainful to accept holding a dialogue with their citizens, or rather 'subjects' owned by the tyrannical rulers and thus do not deserve an audience with them! Tyrants forget the fact that they are mortal human beings created out of water and mud. Almighty God the Creator holds a dialogue with all human beings (believers and disbelievers) in the Quran. This indicates the absolute religious freedom for human beings to (mis)guide themselves and their bearing full responsibility for their choices. Hence, when the Dominant Lord God holds a dialogue with mortals to make them choose to guide themselves to the Righteous Path and they arrogantly refuse to listen, they deserve the eternity in Hell. 

2- God's dialogues with man inside the Quran is a part of vital importance in God's message. Some of the dialogues are preceded by the word (Say) and some are not. Some dialogues defy the disbelievers and refute their claims while containing the phrase (if you are truthful).

3- These dialogues addressed people in the 7^th century Arabia when the Quran was being revealed gradually and it responds to them. Though we in our mourn era have nothing to do with ancient nations, we cannot help but notice that these dialogues suitably address people in all eras and especially our era today, because the Muhammadans repeat most of the words uttered by the Qorayish disbelievers and other disbelievers refuted in the Quranic text. Hence, these dialogues are addressing people of our era as well and we quote them to ward and preach the Muhammadans of today so that they may repent and become monotheists.  

Thirdly: the dialogue of Almighty God using the phrase (if you are truthful):

With Arabs polytheists about the miracle of the Quran:

1- The rejected and denied the miracle of the Quran and claimed that Muhammad authored and fabricate its text; God has challenged them to author something similar to the Quran if they are indeed truthful in their claim: "Or do they say, "He made it up"? Rather, they do not believe. So let them produce a discourse like it, if they are truthful." (52:33-34).

2- Those polytheists insisted on repeating the same claim or accusation leveled against Muhammad while being unable to produce a discourse like the Quran. God has challenged them to bring even ten chapters like it by the help of their allies/deities, if they were truthful: "Or do they say, "He invented it?" Say, "Then produce ten chapters like it, invented, and call upon whomever you can, besides God, if you are truthful."" (11:13).

3- They could not produce ten chapters similar to the Quran they denied and insisted on repeating the same claim or accusation leveled against Muhammad that he authored the Quran. God has challenged them to bring even bring one chapter similar to the Quran conveyed to Muhammad from God: "And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a chapter like these, and call your witnesses apart from God, if you are truthful." (2:23); "Or do they say, "He has forged it"? Say, "Then produce a single chapter like it, and call upon whomever you can, apart from God, if you are truthful."" (10:38). We notice that repetition of the phrase (if you are truthful) in each challenge.

With hypocrites:

1- Many men were killed during the battle of Uhud, and hypocrites inside the Yathreb city-state seized the chance to spread the word about those murdered men who should have obeyed them and heeded their advice by not to fight, and this would have spared their lives. God refutes their claims by asserting that they cannot evade death if they were truthful: "Those who said of their brethren, as they stayed behind, "Had they obeyed us, they would not have been killed." Say, "Then avert death from yourselves, if you are truthful."" (3:168). The inevitability of death and its predestined time and location for each person is asserted earlier in the same Quranic Chapter Three: "...while others cared only for themselves, thinking of God thoughts that were untrue-thoughts of ignorance-saying, "Is anything up to us?" Say, "Everything is up to God." They conceal within themselves what they do not reveal to you. And they say, "If it was up to us, none of us would have been killed here." Say, "Even if you Had stayed in your homes, those destined to be killed would have marched into their death beds." God thus tests what is in your minds, and purifies what is in your hearts. God knows what the hearts contain." (3:154).   

2- Some people condescendingly declared their conversion to Islam before Muhammad, which means they submitted to peaceful behavior, but their hearts had not yet believed in God within monotheism. God has responded to them: "They regarded it a favor to you that they have submitted. Say, "Do not consider your submission a favor to me; it is God who has done you a favor by guiding you to the faith, if you are truthful."" (49:17). This means that if they were true believers, they would not have deemed it a favor to Muhammad that they had submitted to peace (i.e., Islam in terms of demeanor). 

With the People of the Book:

1- Some of them claimed to be 'God's chosen ones' and His only allies who will be the only ones to inherit the Paradise in the Hereafter, and God has challenged them as follows: "Say, "O Jews; if you claim to be the chosen ones of God, to the exclusion of the rest of all other people, then wish for death if you are truthful."" (62:6); "Say, "If the Final Home with God is yours alone, to the exclusion of all other people, then wish for death if you are truthful."" (2:92). The Muhammadans (especially the Sufis) follow the footsteps of the People of the Book; Sufis in particular have the same claims that they are the 'only allies' of God. 

2- Jews and Christians disputed over the notion that each part monopolizes Paradise; God in the Quran refutes such claims that are mere wishful thinking and He has challenged them to provide a proof of their claims: "And they say, "None will enter Heaven unless he is a Jew or a Christian." These are their wishes. Say, "Produce your proof, if you are truthful."" (2:111). Likewise, the Muhammadans claim their monopoly of Paradise by their invented myths of intercessions and mediations.       

3- Regarding food items, some of the People of the Book prohibited what God has made permissible and ascribed their wrong notions to hadiths ascribed to Jacob/Israel; God has challenged them to recite the Torah if they were truthful: "All food was permissible to the Israelites, except what Israel forbade for itself before the Torah was revealed. Say, "Bring the Torah, and read it, if you are truthful."" (3:93).

With Arab disbelievers:

1- A historical fact is asserted by the Quran and disregarded by historians (and by the authors of the Old Testament); namely, that the Israelites during their diaspora moved temporarily from Sinai to Arabia and entered Mecca; Moses and Aaron preached the Meccans to embrace the testimony of (There is no God but Allah), but the Meccans upon seeing the miracles disbelieved and accused both prophets of being sorcerers. Later on, the Meccans wished that God would sent them a prophet like the one sent to the People of the Book, while forgetting their rejection of the call of Moses and Aaron. We understand this from these verses: "Otherwise, if a calamity befell them as a result of what their hands have perpetrated, they would say, "Our Lord, if only You had sent us a messenger, we would have followed Your Verses, and been among the believers." But when the Truth came to them from Us, they said, "If only he was given the like of what was given to Moses." Did they not disbelieve in what was given to Moses in the past? They said, "Two works of magic backing one another." And they said, "We are disbelieving in both." " (28:47-48). God has challenged the Meccans to produce a Book better than the Torah and the Quran if they were truthful, despite their rejection of the Quran that fulfills what came down in the Torah: "Say, "Then bring a scripture from God, more conductive to guidance than both, and I will follow it, if you are truthful."" (28:49).  

2- God has refuted the claim of Arab disbelievers who assumed that angels were daughters of God and has challenged them to prove their claim if they were truthful: "Ask them, "Are the daughters for your Lord, while for them the sons?" Or did We create the angels females, as they witnessed?" No indeed! It is one of their lies when they say. "God has begotten." They are indeed lying. So He preferred girls over boys? What is the matter with you? How do you judge? Will you not reflect? Or do you have some clear proof? Then bring your book, if you are truthful." (37:149-157).

3- Likewise, God has challenged them to prove their myths of prohibiting certain food items, if they were truthful: "Eight pairs: two of the sheep, and two of the goats. Say, "Did He forbid the two males, or the two females, or what the wombs of the two females contain? Inform me with knowledge, if you are truthful."" (6:143).

4- When they challenged Muhammad to cause torment to befall them, God has challenged them by telling them that if He would inflict a torment on them, they will find no gods/saints to seek their aid for deliverance: they will seek refuge only in God: "Say, "Have you considered? if God's torment came upon you, or the Hour overtook you, would you call upon any other than God, if you are truthful?" In fact, it is Him you will call upon; and if He wills, he will remove what you called Him for, and you will forget your polytheism" (6:40-41).  

With disbelievers in general in all era:

 This dialogue applies to all polytheists in all eras and locations who, after the era in which the Quran has been revealed, deify and sanctify things, items, mausoleums, and mortals. Those polytheists are the Muhammadans, Israelites, Christians, Buddhists, the Hindus, etc.   

1-All polytheists worship mortals who are dead and whose bodies turned to dust; God has challenged them to prove that this dust would aid or respond to them, if they are truthful: "Those you call upon besides God are servants like you. So call upon them, and let them answer you, if you are truthful." (7:194).

2- Polytheists cannot being back those dead divinities/gods; Shiites cannot bring back to life Hussein, his mother, his father, nor his progeny. Likewise, Sunnites cannot revive back their mortal deities like Al-Bokhary and other imams, nor could they bring back to life their imaginary supreme deity whom they named 'Muhammad' whose Satanist mausoleum they worship in the Yathreb mosque. such devilish mausoleum is an abomination and has nothing to do with the historical figure of Muhammad mentioned in the Quran. This challenge to bring back their mortal allies/saints/gods to life is expressed in this verse: "Or do they have partners? Then let them produce their partners, if they are truthful." (68:41).     

3- Polytheists hate to worship only God without their partners/gods/saints alongside with Him, and God has challenged them to prove their claim if they were truthful: "Or, who originates the creation and then repeats it, and who gives you livelihood from the sky and the earth? Is there another god with Allah? Say, "Produce your evidence, if you are truthful."" (27:64). God has challenged them to prove if the alleged gods created anything or owned anything created by Him: "Say, "Have you considered those you worship instead of God? Show me which portion of the earth they have created. Or do they own a share of the heavens? Bring me a scripture prior to this one, or some trace of knowledge, if you are truthful." (46:4).   

4- Another challenged is posed to those who disbelieve in God's Word, the Quran, especially by believing in other discourses beside it, that they cannot return the soul of dead persons once more to their bodies: "" (56:81-87). Upon dying, the Muhammadans will realize – after it is too late for them – that they are among the losers because they have abandoned the Quran. We preach and warn them to repent before they die and to believe only in the Quran as the only source of God's religion. "Have they not observed the government of the heavens and the earth, and all the things that God created, and that their time may have drawn near? In which discourse, besides this, will they believe?" (7:185). 

Fourthly: the phrase (if you are truthful) within the dialogue held between God's prophets/messengers and the disbelievers among their peoples:

Within asking for a miracle:

1- The tribe of Thamood asked Saleh the prophet to perform a miracle for them: "You are nothing but a man like us. So bring us a sign, if you are truthful." (26:154). Moses' Pharaoh demanded the same from Moses: "He said, "If you brought a miracle, then present it, if you are truthful."" (7:106). We notice the use of ten phrase (if you are truthful) in both instances.

2- Arabs (especially Qorayish) demanded from Muhammad many miracles and used the same phrase (if you are truthful) while addressing Muhammad to revive their dead fathers and to make them see angels: "Bring back our ancestors, if you are truthful." (44:36); "When Our Clear Verses are recited to them, their only argument is to say, "Bring back our ancestors, if you are truthful."" (45:25); "Why do you not bring us the angels, if you are truthful?" (15:7).

Within asking for torment to befall them:

 The disbelievers used to challenge God's prophets/messengers to cause torment to befall them, while using the phrase (if you are truthful).

1- The people of Noah said to him: "They said, "O Noah, you have argued with us, and argued a great deal. Now bring upon us what you threaten us with, if you are truthful." (11:32).The people of Aad said to Hood: "They said, "Did you come to us to make us worship God alone, and abandon what our ancestors used to worship? Then bring us what you threaten us with, if you are truthful." (7:70); "They said, "Did you come to us to divert us from our gods? Then bring us what you threaten us with if you are truthful." (46:22).The people of Madian said to Shuaib: "So bring down on us pieces from the sky, if you are truthful." (26:187).The people of Lot said to him: "...But the only response from his people was to say, "Bring upon us God's torment, if you are truthful."" (29:29).

2- Qorayish has repeated the phrase (if you are truthful) to Muhammad in many instances: "And they say, "When will this promise be fulfilled, if you are truthful?"" (10:48, 21:38, 27:71, 34:29, 36:48, 67:25); "And they say, "When is this victory, if you are truthful?"" (32:28).