Quran verses about honesty
Truthfulness, sidq, is one of the qualities the Quran most often praises. Prophets are described by it. Abraham (Ibrahim) is called a man of truth, and Ishmael (Isma'il) is praised as true to his promise. The Quran tells believers to be with the truthful and promises that on the Day of Judgment the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness.
Honesty in the Quran covers more than not lying. It includes speaking straight and fairly, not mixing truth with falsehood, not hiding the truth when you know it, keeping trusts, amana, and promises, giving honest weight in business, and not saying what you do not do. It also includes checking news before acting on it. The verses below bring these together, beginning with the call to truthfulness and ending with practical honesty in words and dealings.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ ﴿١١٩﴾
O you who believe! Be conscious of Allah, and be with the sincere.
At-Tawbah 9:119 Believers are told to be mindful of Allah and to be among the truthful.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَقُولُواْ قَوۡلٗا سَدِيدٗا ﴿٧٠﴾ يُصۡلِحۡ لَكُمۡ أَعۡمَٰلَكُمۡ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡۗ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدۡ فَازَ فَوۡزًا عَظِيمًا ﴿٧١﴾
70O you who believe! Be conscious of Allah, and speak in a straightforward manner. 71He will rectify your conduct for you, and will forgive you your sins. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has won a great victory.
Al-Ahzab 33:70–71 Speaking straight, fair words leads Allah to set a person's deeds right and forgive their sins.
وَلَا تَلۡبِسُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّ بِٱلۡبَٰطِلِ وَتَكۡتُمُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَأَنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾
And do not mix truth with falsehood, and do not conceal the truth while you know.
Al-Baqarah 2:42 Addressed first to the Children of Israel, this verse says not to mix truth with falsehood or hide the truth while you know it.
وَٱلَّذِي جَآءَ بِٱلصِّدۡقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦٓ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَ ﴿٣٣﴾
But he who promotes the truth, and testifies to it—these are the righteous.
Az-Zumar 39:33 The one who brings the truth and those who affirm it are the people who are mindful of Allah.
إِنَّ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ وَٱلۡمُسۡلِمَٰتِ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتِ وَٱلۡقَٰنِتِينَ وَٱلۡقَٰنِتَٰتِ وَٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰدِقَٰتِ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرَٰتِ وَٱلۡخَٰشِعِينَ وَٱلۡخَٰشِعَٰتِ وَٱلۡمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَٱلۡمُتَصَدِّقَٰتِ وَٱلصَّـٰٓئِمِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰٓئِمَٰتِ وَٱلۡحَٰفِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمۡ وَٱلۡحَٰفِظَٰتِ وَٱلذَّـٰكِرِينَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرٗا وَٱلذَّـٰكِرَٰتِ أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٗ وَأَجۡرًا عَظِيمٗا ﴿٣٥﴾
Muslim men and Muslim women, believing men and believing women, obedient men and obedient women, truthful men and truthful women, patient men and patient women, humble men and humble women, charitable men and charitable women, fasting men and fasting women, men who guard their chastity and women who guard, men who remember Allah frequently and women who remember—Allah has prepared for them a pardon, and an immense reward.
Al-Ahzab 33:35 Truthful men and women are named among those for whom Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward.
وَٱذۡكُرۡ فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ صِدِّيقٗا نَّبِيًّا ﴿٤١﴾
And mention in the Scripture Abraham. He was a man of truth, a prophet.
Maryam 19:41 Abraham is described as a man of truth and a prophet.
وَٱذۡكُرۡ فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ إِسۡمَٰعِيلَۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ صَادِقَ ٱلۡوَعۡدِ وَكَانَ رَسُولٗا نَّبِيّٗا ﴿٥٤﴾
And mention in the Scripture Ishmael. He was true to his promise, and was a messenger, a prophet.
Maryam 19:54 Ishmael is praised as true to his promise.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ ﴿٢﴾ كَبُرَ مَقۡتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُواْ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ ﴿٣﴾
2O you who believe! Why do you say what you do not do? 3It is most hateful to Allah that you say what you do not do.
As-Saf 61:2–3 Believers are asked why they say what they do not do, and told this is greatly hateful to Allah.
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ ﴿٨﴾
Those who are faithful to their trusts and pledges.
Al-Mu'minun 23:8 Among the qualities of successful believers is that they keep their trusts and their promises.
وَلَا تَقۡرَبُواْ مَالَ ٱلۡيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحۡسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبۡلُغَ أَشُدَّهُۥۚ وَأَوۡفُواْ بِٱلۡعَهۡدِۖ إِنَّ ٱلۡعَهۡدَ كَانَ مَسۡـُٔولٗا ﴿٣٤﴾ وَأَوۡفُواْ ٱلۡكَيۡلَ إِذَا كِلۡتُمۡ وَزِنُواْ بِٱلۡقِسۡطَاسِ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمِۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيۡرࣱ وَأَحۡسَنُ تَأۡوِيلٗا ﴿٣٥﴾
34And do not go near the orphan’s property, except with the best of intentions, until he has reached his maturity. And honor your pledge, because the pledge involves responsibility. 35And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with accurate scales. That is fair, and the best determination.
Al-Isra 17:34–35 Keep your promises, because they will be asked about, and measure and weigh honestly.
۞يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُونُواْ قَوَّـٰمِينَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ شُهَدَآءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَوِ ٱلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ وَٱلۡأَقۡرَبِينَۚ إِن يَكُنۡ غَنِيًّا أَوۡ فَقِيرٗا فَٱللَّهُ أَوۡلَىٰ بِهِمَاۖ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡهَوَىٰٓ أَن تَعۡدِلُواْۚ وَإِن تَلۡوُۥٓاْ أَوۡ تُعۡرِضُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرٗا ﴿١٣٥﴾
O you who believe! Stand firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even if against yourselves, or your parents, or your relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah takes care of both. So do not follow your desires, lest you swerve. If you deviate, or turn away—then Allah is Aware of what you do.
An-Nisa 4:135 Stand firmly for justice as witnesses for Allah, even if the truth goes against yourself or your family.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن جَآءَكُمۡ فَاسِقُۢ بِنَبَإٖ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓاْ أَن تُصِيبُواْ قَوۡمَۢا بِجَهَٰلَةٖ فَتُصۡبِحُواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلۡتُمۡ نَٰدِمِينَ ﴿٦﴾
O you who believe! If a troublemaker brings you any news, investigate, lest you harm people out of ignorance, and you become regretful for what you have done.
Al-Hujurat 49:6 If someone untrustworthy brings you news, check it first so you do not harm people out of ignorance.
قَالَ ٱللَّهُ هَٰذَا يَوۡمُ يَنفَعُ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ صِدۡقُهُمۡۚ لَهُمۡ جَنَّـٰتࣱ تَجۡرِي مِن تَحۡتِهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدٗاۖ رَّضِيَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ﴿١١٩﴾
Allah will say, “This is a Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness.” They will have Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will remain forever. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. That is the great attainment.
Al-Ma'idah 5:119 On the Day of Judgment, the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness, and Allah will be pleased with them.
Honesty in these verses is a daily practice: keeping a small promise, giving a fair account of someone you dislike, admitting your own part in a problem, checking a story before sharing it. 33:70-71 offers a gentle encouragement: straightforward words are tied to Allah setting the rest of your affairs right.
Questions
What does the Quran say about honesty?
The Quran tells believers to be with the truthful (9:119), to speak straight words (33:70), not to mix truth with falsehood (2:42), and to keep trusts and promises (23:8).
Is there a verse about keeping promises?
Yes. 17:34 says promises will be asked about, 23:8 praises those who keep trusts and promises, and 19:54 praises Ishmael for being true to his promise.
What does the Quran say about checking news?
Surah Al-Hujurat 49:6 tells believers to verify news brought by an untrustworthy person, so they do not harm people out of ignorance and regret it.