Subtleties and Allusions

Manifestation in Truth and Reality

“Truth” (ṣidq), according to terminology, is a statement that corresponds to reality, and “the Real” (al-ḥaqq) is a statement to which reality corresponds, because correspondence has two sides. What is established in external reality is real (ḥaqq), and if we call a true statement real, it is by virtue of reality’s correspondence to it. If someone is a person of truth (ahl ṣidq), they will also be a person of reality (ahl ḥaqq), and the truthful (ṣādiq) also becomes real (ḥaqīq). Since God is pure reality: “That is because God is the Reality”,(397) He is also pure truth (ṣidq). Therefore, no one is more truthful than God: “and who is more truthful in speech than God?”;(398) “and who is truer in speech than God?.”(399) And since God has no equal: “nor has He any equal”,(400) in the attribute of truth (ṣidq) as well, no one equals the truth of the Most Sacred Divine Essence. Therefore, every truthful person’s truth is lower than God’s truth.

The verse “and who is more truthful in speech than God?” negates anyone being more truthful than God, but the statement “nor has He any equal” also negates truth equal to God’s truth, because if someone’s truth were on the same level as the truth of the Exalted God, their reality (ḥaqq) would have to be at the level of God’s reality, since truth (ṣidq) and reality (ḥaqq) are one reality: from the aspect that it is measured against reality and corresponds to reality, it is truth (ṣidq), and from the aspect that reality corresponds to it, it is real (ḥaqq). If God is pure reality and no reality exists except Him “with God,” rather every reality that is conceived is “from God”: “This is the truth from your Lord.”(401)

God not only has no one more truthful than Himself, but also has no equal in truth. Whoever possesses truth (ṣidq) and reality (ḥaqq) is a manifestation (maẓhar) of the truth and reality of God. Therefore, the prophets, messengers, and angels brought near are among the best examples of the truthful (ṣādiqān).