Quran and Social Sciences

Quran and Social Sciences

The Status of Truthfulness in the Qur’an and Practical Wisdom and Its Role in the Advancement of Society

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Ali Nikooee
Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz , Shiraz, Iran
10.22034/arq.2026.247828
Abstract
Whether human beings are social by nature or by necessity, they are inherently social beings, and the advancement of social life depends on factors that establish and sustain social order and cohesion. Among these factors is the extent to which truthfulness governs social relations. Truthfulness is a disposition of the soul that manifests as honesty in speech and integrity in conduct. It originates in the soundness of belief, and other moral virtues arise from this inner disposition. For this reason, scholars of ethics have described truthfulness as “the noblest of the qualities of the soul and the foremost of virtuous moral traits.” This study addresses the following questions: What status does truthfulness occupy in the Qur’an and practical wisdom, and how does it contribute to the advancement of society? The study employs a library-based method of data collection and adopts a descriptive-analytical approach to the examination of the collected material. The findings indicate that truthfulness and veracity are among the most important means of fostering social trust and play a fundamental role in establishing and maintaining social order and cohesion. Truthfulness is also regarded as essential to the survival of society and the legitimacy of rulers. Security, as another defining feature of an advanced society, is likewise considered a consequence of individuals’ adherence to truthfulness in its various dimensions. The study further argues that truthfulness in belief, understood as the correspondence of one’s conception with objective reality, provides the foundation for a proper understanding of progress and sustainable development. It prevents the rights of future generations from being disregarded, protects the environment from harm, and contributes to felicity in the Hereafter. An advanced society is realized through the manifestation of justice in its various spheres; such justice, however, cannot be achieved without cultivating the moral virtues that arise from the disposition of truthfulness
Keywords
Qur&‌‌‌rsquo
an
Practical wisdom
Truthfulness
Social advancement
Society
Justice
Security
Sustainable development
Social trust
Subjects
The Holy Qurʾan
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  • Receive Date 24 September 2025
  • Revise Date 14 June 2026
  • Accept Date 24 July 2026