Quran Verses About Honesty
The Quran commands company as well as character: 'fear Allah and be with those who are true' (9:119). Honesty in it is concrete — straight speech (33:70), no mixing truth with falsehood (2:42), full measure and honest scales (17:35) — and hypocrisy is confronted head-on: 'why do you say what you do not do?' (61:2). These eleven ayahs define truthfulness in word, trade, and testimony.
Updated July 16, 2026
- Surah At-Tawbah 9:119
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
O ye who believe! Be careful of your duty to Allah, and be with the truthful
Truthfulness as environment — be with those who are true, not merely truthful yourself.
- Surah Al-Ahzab 33:70
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَقُولُواْ قَوۡلٗا سَدِيدٗا
O ye who believe! Guard your duty to Allah, and speak words straight to the point
The command on speech itself — fear Allah and say words that are straight and just.
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:42
وَلَا تَلۡبِسُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّ بِٱلۡبَٰطِلِ وَتَكۡتُمُواْ ٱلۡحَقَّ وَأَنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ
Confound not truth with falsehood, nor knowingly conceal the truth
The double prohibition — do not dress truth in falsehood, and do not conceal the truth you know.
- Surah Al-Isra 17:35
وَأَوۡفُواْ ٱلۡكَيۡلَ إِذَا كِلۡتُمۡ وَزِنُواْ بِٱلۡقِسۡطَاسِ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمِۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيۡرٞ وَأَحۡسَنُ تَأۡوِيلٗا
Fill the measure when ye measure, and weigh with a right balance; that is meet, and better in the end
Honesty at the scales — give full measure and weigh evenly; that is best in the end.
- Surah Al-Mutaffifin 83:1
وَيۡلٞ لِّلۡمُطَفِّفِينَ
Woe unto the defrauders
The opening warning of Surah Al-Mutaffifin — woe to those who shortchange, taking in full but giving less.
- Surah Al-Ahzab 33:35
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
Lo! men who surrender unto Allah, and women who surrender, and men who believe and women who believe, and men who obey and women who obey, and men who speak the truth and women who speak the truth, and men who persevere (in righteousness) and women who persevere, and men who are humble and women who are humble, and men who give alms and women who give alms, and men who fast and women who fast, and men who guard their modesty and women who guard (their modesty), and men who remember Allah much and women who remember - Allah hath prepared for them forgiveness and a vast reward
Truthful men and truthful women are named in the honor roll of those for whom Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.
- Surah As-Saf 61:2
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ
O ye who believe! Why say ye that which ye do not
The question that exposes empty words — why do you say what you do not do?
- Surah As-Saf 61:3
كَبُرَ مَقۡتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُواْ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ
It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that ye say that which ye do not
The weight of that gap — great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.
- Surah Az-Zumar 39:33
وَٱلَّذِي جَآءَ بِٱلصِّدۡقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِۦٓ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُتَّقُونَ
And whoso bringeth the truth and believeth therein - Such are the dutiful
The definition of the righteous — the one who brings the truth and those who believe it.
- Surah Al-Hajj 22:30
ذَٰلِكَۖ وَمَن يُعَظِّمۡ حُرُمَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَهُوَ خَيۡرٞ لَّهُۥ عِندَ رَبِّهِۦۗ وَأُحِلَّتۡ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمُ إِلَّا مَا يُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ فَٱجۡتَنِبُواْ ٱلرِّجۡسَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَوۡثَٰنِ وَٱجۡتَنِبُواْ قَوۡلَ ٱلزُّورِ
That (is the command). And whoso magnifieth the sacred things of Allah, it will be well for him in the sight of his Lord. The cattle are lawful unto you save that which hath been told you. So shun the filth of idols, and shun lying speech
False statement is listed beside idolatry as something to shun — 'avoid the uncleanliness of idols and avoid false statement.'
- Surah Al-Furqan 25:72
وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَشۡهَدُونَ ٱلزُّورَ وَإِذَا مَرُّواْ بِٱللَّغۡوِ مَرُّواْ كِرَامٗا
And those who will not witness vanity, but when they pass near senseless play, pass by with dignity
The servants of the Most Merciful do not testify to falsehood — and pass by ill speech with dignity.
Arabic text: Tanzil Uthmani (public domain). English translation: Marmaduke Pickthall, “The Meaning of the Glorious Koran” (1930) — public domain.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Quran say about lying?
It groups false statement with the gravest sins — 'avoid the uncleanliness of idols and avoid false statement' (22:30) — forbids mixing or hiding truth (2:42), and condemns saying what you do not do (61:2-3). Truthful men and women are promised forgiveness and great reward (33:35).
What does the Quran say about honesty in business?
Give full measure and weigh with an even balance (17:35); Surah Al-Mutaffifin opens with 'woe to those who give less than due' — the traders who take in full but deliver short (83:1-3).
How can I become more truthful?
The Quran's method is company and speech: 'be with those who are true' (9:119) and train the tongue on straight words (33:70). Truthfulness is treated as a habit built alongside truthful people.
Sit with these ayahs, not just skim them
Read each verse in its surah, favorite the ones that hold you, and ask Noor about anything unclear — free to start.
Get Living Quran free