According to the statements of Amir al-Muminin Ali (AS) in Nahj al-Balagha, recognizing falsehood and distinguishing it from truth is, at the outset, a difficult and complex task.
This issue becomes particularly important in circumstances where Falsehood’s Adherents conceal their true nature through deception and trickery. As a result, in many cases the camp of falsehood and its followers appear, outwardly, stronger and more numerous than the camp of truth and reality.
However, Imam Ali (AS), relying on his illuminating teachings, clearly sets forth the solution to this problem as well. He emphasizes that this difficulty will gradually become easier by submitting to the truth and adopting piety and patience. Piety and patience, together with insight and sincerity of intention, are two very powerful weapons in confronting Falsehood’s Adherents.
Of course, there are always factors that create the conditions for failing to recognize falsehood, and one must be wary of them. Falsehood and Falsehood’s Adherents is among the subjects that hold great significance in the words of Amir al-Muminin Ali (AS) in Nahj al-Balagha. In what follows, we will examine this topic in greater detail.
What Does Falsehood Mean?
The well-known lexicographer Jawhari writes in his book al-Sihah: “Falsehood is the opposite of truth”.[1] Ibn Manzur, the author of Lisan al-Arab, also states: “Falsehood is the negation of truth”.[2]
Characteristics of Falsehood in Nahj al-Balagha
1. The Subtle Boundary Between Falsehood and Truth
The boundary between truth and falsehood is extremely subtle, and for this reason distinguishing between the two is difficult. From the perspective of Amir al-Muminin (AS), the reason a shubha (doubt or ambiguity) is so named is precisely because it resembles the truth.[3] It is this very intermingling of truth with falsehood that becomes the source of the emergence of tribulation (fitna) in society.[4]
2. The Lightness of Falsehood Versus the Heaviness of Truth
From the viewpoint of Nahj al-Balagha, acting upon the truth, despite its heaviness, is wholesome and life-giving, while acting upon falsehood, despite its apparent lightness, is destructive.[5] Nevertheless, according to the words of the Imam (AS), acting upon the truth becomes light for those who seek the Hereafter and practice patience.[6]
3. The Abundance of the Army of Falsehood Versus the Army of Truth
The apparent ease of falsehood leads to an increase in its followers, while the heaviness of acting upon the truth (especially at the beginning) reduces the number of those who practice it. As the Imam (AS) says:
“There is truth, and there is falsehood, and each has its supporters. If the followers of falsehood gain the upper hand, it is no wonder, for such has been the way from ancient times; and if the supporters of truth are few, perhaps [a time will come when they increase], but it rarely happens that something which has turned its back will return again”.[7]
Although those who speak in praise of truth and its soldiers are many, Imam (AS) addresses his soldiers in Kufa by saying:
“O people of Kufa! Your bodies are together, but your thoughts and desires are scattered. Your boastful words shatter hard rocks, but your weak actions give hope to your enemies. While sitting in your houses, you raise loud claims and harsh slogans, but on the day of battle you say, O war, keep away from us, and you flee…
Truth is not attained except through effort and striving”.[8]
4. The Final Defeat of Falsehood
Nahj al-Balagha states that whoever confronts the truth, the truth will cast him down. [9]Likewise, false speech is destined to perish.[10] Over the course of time, falsehood is ultimately eliminated, and truth becomes manifest and returns to its people, at whose head are the Ahl al-Bayt of infallibility and purity (AS). Amir al-Muminin (AS) said:
“The world, after its defiance, will turn toward us, like an ill-tempered she-camel that becomes kind to her young”.[11]
(Then he recited this verse): “And We desired to bestow favor upon those who were oppressed in the land, and to make them leaders and heirs”.[12]
5. The Weakness of Falsehood Before Truth and Its Flight at the Height of Attack
Another characteristic of falsehood is that, despite its aggression and show of bravery, it is extremely weak when facing the truth. During the Battle of Siffin, Imam (AS) said to his companions:[13]
“Attack fiercely that large group around the ornate tent and the tightly bound ropes (the command center of Muawiya), and charge into their heart, for Satan is hidden beside it, with one hand stretched forward to attack and one foot ready to flee. Stand firm until the pillar of truth becomes clear to you.
“You are superior, and God is with you, and He will not diminish the reward of your deeds”.[14]
He also said, in condemnation of the army of Jamal:
“They roared like thunder and flashed like lightning, but they achieved nothing and eventually grew feeble. We are not like that; until we act, we do not roar or flash, and until we pour forth, we do not unleash a flood”.[15]
Tools for Recognizing Falsehood
In Nahj al-Balagha, recognizing truth and falsehood is the only way to identify truth-seekers and Falsehood’s Adherents, and the reverse is not correct. That is, one cannot determine truth and falsehood based on personalities, except for the infallible ones (AS), who themselves are the criterion of truth and the standard for recognizing it.
1. Insight and Sincerity of Intention
One of the tools for recognizing truth and falsehood in Nahj al-Balagha is possessing insight and sincerity of intention. Accordingly, insight and sincerity of intention play a very important role in recognizing falsehood and Falsehood’s Adherents.
Insight means having a deep and accurate understanding of surrounding issues and events. Through insight, one can recognize the true face of Falsehood’s Adherents and remain safe from their deceptions and schemes.
Sincerity of intention means having a pure heart and a sincere intention in the path of truth. Sincerity of intention is a guiding light that leads a person from the darkness of falsehood and Falsehood’s Adherents toward the light of truth.
“So move forward with seeing hearts, and keep your intention sincere in striving against the enemy. By God, besides whom there is no god, I walk upon the path of truth, and my enemies are on the brink of falsehood. I say what you hear, and I seek forgiveness from God for myself and for you”.[16]
From the perspective of the Imam (AS), a person of insight is one who reflects after hearing, gains new understanding with every glance, and benefits from lessons and admonitions.[17]
2. Piety
Amir al-Muminin Ali (AS), likening sins to unruly horses and likening piety to a well-trained mount that has fully entrusted its reins to its rider and gently guides him toward Paradise, states:
“There is truth, and there is falsehood, and for each there are people devoted to it”.[18]
Factors Leading to the Failure to Recognize Falsehood
1. The Intermingling of Truth and Falsehood
As mentioned earlier, the subtle boundary between truth and falsehood makes it difficult to distinguish between them, and as a result, the flames of social tribulations are ignited:
“If falsehood were not mixed with truth, it would not be hidden from the seekers of truth; and if truth were separated and purified from falsehood, the tongues of the enemies would be cut off.
But they take a portion of truth and a portion of falsehood and mix them together; it is there that Satan gains mastery over his allies, and only those who are encompassed by the grace and mercy of the Lord will be saved”.[19]
2. Following One’s Desires
Another obstacle to recognizing truth and falsehood in Nahj al-Balagha is following one’s selfish desires. This is one of the two matters about which the Imam (AS) is most concerned regarding people’s affliction, “The other is prolonged hope”,[20] because “following desires prevents a person from the truth”.[21]
3. Ignorant Dispute and Conflict
Another factor that blinds a person to the truth is excess in ignorant dispute and conflict:
“Whoever engages in contention and quarrels becomes blind to seeing the truth; whoever deviates from the path of truth regards goodness as evil and evil as goodness, and becomes intoxicated by misguidance; and whoever persists in enmity finds the path of truth difficult, his affair hard, and his salvation from difficulties arduous”.[22]
The Imam (AS) further said:
“Thus, whoever makes disputation and quarrelling his habit will never emerge from darkness”.[23]
4. Ignorant Fanaticism
During the Battle of Jamal, when Amir al-Muminin Ali (AS) approached Basra, a group from among its people sent an Arab man named Kulayb al-Jarmi to him so that the reality of the situation between the two sides of the conflict might become clear to them.
The Imam (AS) explained the events between himself and the companions of Jamal and demonstrated that he was on the side of truth. Then the Imam (AS) said to him, “Give your allegiance”. He replied, “I am the envoy of my people; I will do nothing until I return to them”.
Amir al-Muminin (AS) said: «If those who sent you here had sent you as a guide to find the place where rain has fallen, and you returned to inform them about vegetation and water, and they opposed you and turned toward barren and waterless lands, what would you do?».
He said: “I would leave them to go their way, and I would go myself to where I have found vegetation and water”.
The Imam (AS) said: “Then extend your hand”.
That man said: “By God, when the proof was made clear to me, I could not refuse allegiance. So I pledged allegiance to him”.[24]
In this way, the Imam (AS) made it clear to him that attachment to one’s tribe or group must not prevent acceptance of the truth.
5. Stubbornness and Persistence in Falsehood
In Nahj al-Balagha, the Imam (AS) considers stubbornness and insistence to be causes of heedlessness of the heart and an evil end:
“Whoever persists in his stubbornness is like a covenant-breaker whose heart God has covered with a veil of heedlessness, and misfortune revolves around his head”.[25]
6. Remaining in Doubt and Failing to Remove It
Another factor that prevents the clarification of truth and falsehood is remaining in doubt and failing to make an effort to remove it. Over time, doubt becomes a fixed trait, causing a person never to attain certainty about whether something is true or false. Amir al-Muminin (AS) says regarding this matter:
“Whoever remains in hesitation and doubt will be trampled under the feet of Satan”.[26]
7. Exaggerating One’s Deeds
Among the recommendations of the Imam (AS) to Malik al-Ashtar is this: “Beware of regarding an action you perform as greater than it truly is, for considering an action greater than it is extinguishes the light of truth”.[27]
8. Hastiness in Recognition
Another factor leading to deviation from the correct path of understanding is the lack of reflection and careful consideration, which results from haste and rushing to judgment.
Amir al-Muminin (AS), in response to the Kharijites of Nahrawan, said:
“As for their saying, Why did you set a fixed period for this arbitration?
I did so in order that, during this time, the ignorant might come to know the truth and the knowledgeable might become firm in their conviction, and perhaps God, during this period of refraining from war, would set right the affairs of the community.
He should not be like one whose throat is being squeezed, so that he hastens before recognizing the truth and follows falsehood the moment it first appears”.[28]
9. Sufficing with What Is Heard and Not Confronting Realities Directly
Relying on hearsay instead of directly confronting realities is another obstacle to correctly recognizing truth and falsehood in Nahj al-Balagha.
Amir al-Muminin (AS), while forbidding listening to backbiting against people whose religion and conduct are sound and firm, says:
“Know that between truth and falsehood there are only four fingers”.
They asked, “What does this mean?” The Imam (AS) placed his fingers between his eye and ear and said:
“Falsehood is that you say, I heard, and truth is that you say: I saw”.[29]
He also emphasizes to Malik al-Ashtar that “concealment from the subjects prevents rulers from knowing what is hidden from them; thus a great matter appears small, a small matter appears great, the beautiful appears ugly, the ugly appears beautiful, and falsehood dons the garment of truth”.[30]
10. Personality Worship
One of the causes of a person’s confusion in distinguishing truth from falsehood is judging truth by people rather than judging people by the truth. Amir al-Muminin (AS), in response to Harith ibn Hawt, who came to the Imam and said: “Do you think that I consider the companions of Jamal to be misguided? That is not the case”, said:
“O Harith, you looked beneath your feet but did not look around you, and so you became bewildered. You did not recognize the truth so that you might know who the people of truth are, nor did you recognize falsehood so that you might know the followers of falsehood”.[31]
The Approach of Nahj al-Balagha Toward Falsehood and Falsehoodism
1. Absolute Decisiveness in Struggle
Amir al-Muminin Ali (AS) says to Ibn Abbas that “the greatest thing for you in this world should be extinguishing falsehood and reviving the truth”.[32]
Elsewhere, he (AS) tells him that if, through governance, he were unable to repel falsehood, then his patched shoe, which is not even worth one dirham, would be more valuable to him than such a rule.[33]
The Imam (AS) also repeatedly complains to the people of Kufa and reproaches them for their negligence and weakness in confronting falsehood.[34]
2. The Necessity of Obedience and Unity
Among the matters that Nahj al-Balagha consistently emphasizes regarding the struggle against the front of falsehood is the preservation of unity and the obedience of the people and soldiers to their leader and commander.
In expressing his complaint about the Kufa’s people, the Imam (AS) explains that the reason for the victory of the front of falsehood is the obedience and unity of its soldiers, while the reason for the defeat of the front of truth is the disobedience of the people and their disunity.[35]
Conclusion
In the history of Imam Ali’s (AS) struggles, there are many examples of his decisiveness in confronting Falsehood’s Adherents. He never surrendered to the deception and trickery of Falsehood’s Adherents and always stood with his entire being for the establishment of truth and justice.
Through his teachings, Imam Ali (AS) showed his followers that Falsehood’s Adherents, no matter how great and terrifying they may appear, ultimately have no destiny other than defeat and destruction.
Falsehood and Falsehood’s Adherents can never endure in the face of truth and reality. The firm approach of Imam Ali (AS) toward Falsehood’s Adherents is not only a model for his own time but for all eras, for everyone who walks the path of truth and justice.
Through his strength and steadfastness, Imam Ali (AS) taught all people that in the struggle against Falsehood’s Adherents, one must be united and harmonious and spare no effort. In this way, falsehood and its followers can never withstand the power of faith and the will of truth-seekers, and in the end, they will be defeated.
Notes
[1] . Jawhari, Al-Sihah, vol.4, p.1635.
[2] . Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-Arab, vol.11, p.56.
[3] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 38.
[4] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 50.
[5] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Wisdom 376.
[6] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53.
[7] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 16.
[8] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 29.
[9] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Wisdom 408.
[10] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 141.
[11] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Wisdom 209.
[12] . Al-Qasas, 5.
[13] . Al-Muhammad (S), 35.
[14] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 66.
[15] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 9.
[16] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 197.
[17] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 153.
[18] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 16.
[19] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 50.
[20] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 42.
[21] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 42.
[22] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Wisdom 31.
[23] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Wisdom 31.
[24] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 170.
[25] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 58.
[26] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Wisdom 31.
[27] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53.
[28] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 125.
[29] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 141.
[30] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53.
[31] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Wisdom 262.
[32] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 66.
[33] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 33.
[34] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermons 25, 27, 29, 69, and 97.
[35] . Sharif al-Radi, Nahj al-Balagha, Sermons 25, 27, and 97.
References
- The Holy Quran.
- Ibn Manzur al-Ansari, Jamal al-Din Muhammad ibn Mukarram ibn Ali, Lisan al-Arab, 3rd ed. Beirut: Dar Sadir, 1414 AH.
- Jawhari, Abu Nasr Ismail ibn Hammad al-Jawhari al-Farabi, Al-Sihah: Taj al-Lugha wa Sihah al-Arabiyya. Edited by Ahmad Abd al-Ghafur Atta. Beirut: Dar al-Ilm li-l-Malayin, 1407 AH.
- Sharif al-Radi, Muhammad ibn Hussain. Nahj al-Balagha. Edited by Dr. Subhi al-Salih. Qom: Dar al-Hijra Institute.
Source of the article | Adapted from:
Momeni, Fariba, “Truth and Falsehood in Nahj al-Balagha”, Journal of the Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Tehran, Spring 2001, pp. 362–380.
