VARIOUS TERMS AND MEANINGS OF TRUTH IN THE QUR’AN

 


So far, we have almost been unaware of the degrees of truth as taught by the Qur’an. We often assume that the truth in various terms used has the same degree, such as equating the absolute truth (Haq) of the Qur'an with the soundness (Shahih) of hadith, simply because both are considered "true." However, there is actually a difference between the terms for "truth" that we often use:

1. HAQ

Haq comes from the root letters ha-qa-qa ( ح ق ق ), meaning the correspondence of a statement with reality, or what can be called "objective truth."

The truth of HAQ is attributed to only three entities in the Qur'an: Allah (Al-Hajj: 62), the Qur'an (Al-Hajj: 54), and the reality of the universe (Al-Hijr: 85). This truth of HAQ serves as the standard of truth, meaning these three entities are the tools for verifying truth. A statement is considered true if it does not contradict these three entities.

وَٱلۡوَزۡنُ يَوۡمَئِذٍ ٱلۡحَقُّۚ فَمَن ثَقُلَتۡ مَوَٰزِينُهُۥ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ

"The balance on that Day will be the Truth. So, whoever’s scales are heavy, it is they who will be successful." (Al-A'raf: 8)

2. SHAHIH

Shahih comes from the root letters sha-ha-ha ( ص ح ح ), meaning the fulfillment of the subjective conditions that have been set. For example, a hadith narrated by certain narrators is considered shahih if it meets the established conditions for its narrators and chain of transmission. Shahih differs from Haq in that Shahih is subjective, whereas Haq is objective, as it is. Therefore, a hadith claimed to be sahih by Bukhari may not necessarily be considered sahih by others. Allah never uses this term in the Qur’an.

3. SHIDQ

Shidq comes from the root letters sha-da-qa ( ص د ق ), meaning the alignment between what is said and what is in the mind. Shidq involves a statement that is spoken and the abstraction in the mind, making Shidq the opposite of Kidzb ( كذب ), which means the inconsistency between what is in the mind and what is spoken.

قَالُواْ يَٰوَيۡلَنَا مَنۢ بَعَثَنَا مِن مَّرۡقَدِنَاۜۗ هَٰذَا مَا وَعَدَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ وَصَدَقَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلُونَ

"They said, 'Woe to us! Who has raised us from our place of sleep (the grave)?' This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers spoke the truth." (Yasin: 52)

4. SHAWAB

Shawab comes from the root letters sha-wa-ba ( ص و ب ), meaning accuracy or correspondence. Shawab refers to the accuracy of a statement with actual reality; the more accurate, the higher the quality of the statement. Shawab also relates to the ability to express what is in the mind. Sometimes, we find it difficult to find the right words to express what is in our mind, and our ability to articulate it most precisely is Shawab.

يَوۡمَ يَقُومُ ٱلرُّوحُ وَٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ صَفّٗاۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنۡ أَذِنَ لَهُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابٗا

"The Day when the Spirit and the angels will stand in rows, they will not speak except for whom the Most Merciful has permitted, and he will say what is correct." (An-Naba': 38)

5. RUSHDU

لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِي ٱلدِّينِۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشۡدُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَيِّۚ فَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلطَّٰغُوتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

"There is no compulsion in religion. Indeed, the right path has become distinct from the wrong." (Al-Baqarah : 256)

means the awareness gained from knowledge. In Sufism, a guiding teacher is often referred to as "mursyid" which is derived from the word rushdu because the mursyid possesses knowledge through inner experience, enabling them to provide guidance.

This meaning is reflected in Al-Kahfi: 66 :

قَالَ لَهُۥ مُوسَىٰ هَلۡ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمۡتَ رُشۡدٗا

"Moses said to him, 'May I follow you so that you teach me from what you have been taught, so that I may be guided?'"

The word min (من) can mean "the starting point." For example : "From the Sacred Mosque to the Al-Aqsa Mosque." The word al-ghayy ( الْغَيِّ ) means "past mistakes or errors that need to be corrected or canceled." From this, we can understand the meaning of the verse: "Indeed, the right path has become distinct from the wrong," as the clear "knowledge that leads to the awareness of beginning to change past mistakes".

(Abu Musa)

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