Truth Will Out (1)

"Abu Dhar, radhiyallahu 'anhu, related," said the Moon when she arose after saying Basmalah and Salaam, "That our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) said,

قُلِ اَلْحَقَّ, وَلَوْ كَانَ مُرًّا

'Say the Truth even though it is bitter.' [Ibn Hibban graded it Sahih (authentic) as a part of a long Hadith].

He (ﷺ) also said,

فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ طُمَأْنِينَةٌ وَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ رِيبَةٌ

'... Verily, truth brings peace of mind and falsehood sows doubt.' [Sunan al-Tirmidhī; Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani]

Why shall we tell the Truth then? Shakespeare wrote, in his 16th-century play, 'The Merchant of Venice,' that a one of its character, Lancelot Gobbo, said, '... Give me your blessing : truth will come to light; murther cannot be hid long; a man's son may, but in the end, TRUTH WILL OUT.'

Siddhārth 'Buddha' Gautam said, 'Three things cannot be long hidden: the Sun, the Moon, and the Truth.'

Right? The Sun, unavoidably, will rise, after the Moon taking her leave before dawn, the two will take turns, so too, the Truth.

As a sketch, lend me your ears on the following story, entitled 'And ... and ...,'

And the King was a man that stood well before the world, his smile was sweet as clover, but his soul withinsides, was as little as a pea.

And he had two sons ; and the younger son was a boy after his heart, but the elder, was one whom he feared. And it befel one morning that the drum sounded in the dun before it was yet day; and the King rode with his two sons, and a brave array behind them. They rode two hours, and came to the foot of a brown mountain that was very steep.

'Where do we ride?' said the elder son. 'Across this brown mountain,' said the King, and smiled to himself.

'My father knows what he is doing,' said the younger son. And they rode two hours more, and came to the sides of a black river that was wondrous deep.

‘'And where do we ride? ’ asked the elder son. 'Over this black river,' said the King, and smiled to himself. 'My father knows what he is doing,' said the younger son. And they rode all that day, and about the time of the sunsetting came to the side of a lake, where was a great dun.

'It is here we ride,' said the King, 'to a King’s house, and a priest’s, and a house where you will learn much.’'

And at the gates of the dun, the King, who was a priest met them, and he was a grave man, and beside him stood his daughter, and she was as fair as the morn, and one that smiled and looked down.

'These are my two sons,' said the first King. 'And here is my daughter,' said the King who was a priest.

'She is a wonderful fine maid,' said the first King, 'and I like her manner of smiling.'

'They are wonderful well-grown lads,' said the second, 'and I like their gravity.'

And then the two Kings looked at each other, and said, 'The thing may come about.'

And in the meanwhile, the two lads looked upon the maid, and the one grew pale and the other red; and the maid looked upon the ground smiling.

'Here is the maid that I shall marry,' said the elder. 'For I think she smiled upon me.' But the younger plucked his father by the sleeve. 'Father,' said he, 'a word in your ear. If I find favour in your sight, might not I wed this maid, for I think she smiles upon me?'

'A word in yours,' said the King his father. 'Waiting is good hunting, and when the teeth are shut the tongue is at home.'

And now they were come into the dun, and feasted; and this was a great house, so that the lads were astonished; and the King that was a priest, sat at the end of the board and was silent, so that the lads were filled with reverence; and the maid served them smiling with downcast eyes, so that their hearts were enlarged.

And before it was day, the elder son arose, and he found the maid at her weaving, for she was a diligent girl. 'Maid,' quoth he, 'I would fain marry you.'

'You must speak with my father,' said she, and she looked upon the ground smiling, and became like the rose.

'And her heart is with me,' said the elder son, and he went down to the lake and sang,

Here we are, riding the sky

Painting the night, with sun

You and I, mirrors of light

Twin flames of fire

Lit in another time and place

I knew your name, I knew your face

Your love and grace

Past and present, now embrace

Worlds collide in inner space, unstoppable,

 The songs we play *)

And a little after, came the younger son. ‘'Maid,' quoth he, 'if our fathers were agreed, I would like well to marry you.'

'You can speak to my father,' said she, and looked upon the ground and smiled and grew like the rose.

'She is a dutiful daughter,' said the younger son, 'she will make an obedient wife.' And then he thought, 'What shall I do?' and he remembered the King her father was a priest ; so he went into the temple and sacrificed a weasel and a hare.

And presently, the news got about ; and the two lads and the first King were called into the presence of the King who was a priest, where he sat upon the high seat. 'Little I reck of gear,' said the King who was a priest, 'and little of power. For we live here among the shadows of things, and the heart is sick of seeing them. And we stay here in the wind like raiment drying, and the heart is weary of the wind. But one thing I love, and that is truth; and for one thing will I give my daughter, and that is the trial stone. For in the light of that stone, the seeming goes, and the being shows, and all things besides are worthless. Therefore, lads, if ye would wed my daughter, out foot, and bring me the stone of touch, for that is the price of her.'

'A word in your ear,' said the younger son to his father. ‘I think we do very well without this stone.’

'A word in yours,’' said his father, 'I am of your way of thinking; but when the teeth are shut the tongue is at home.' And he smiled to the King that was a priest.

And but the elder son got to his feet, and called the King that was a priest by the name of father. 'For whether I marry the maid or no, I will call you by that word for the love of your wisdom; and even now I will ride forth and search the world for the stone of touch.' So he said farewell and rode into the world.

'I think, I will go, too,' said the younger son, ' if I can have your leave. For my heart goes out to the maid.'

'You will ride home with me,' said his father. So they rode home, and when they came to the dun, the King had his son into his treasury. 'Here,' said he, 'is the touchstone which shows truth; for there is no truth but plain truth; and if you will look in this, you will see yourself as you are.'

And the younger son looked in it, and saw his face, as it were the face of a beardless youth, and he was well enough pleased; for the thing was a piece of a mirror. 'Here is no such great thing to make a work about,' said he; 'but, if it will get me the maid, I shall never complain. But what a fool is my brother to ride into the world, and the thing all the while at home!' 

And so, they rode back to the other dun, and showed the mirror to the King that was a priest; and when he had looked in it, and seen himself like a King, and his house like a King’s house, and all things like themselves, he cried out and blessed God. 'For now I know,' said he, ‘there is no truth but the plain truth; and I am a King indeed, although my heart misgave me.’' And he pulled down his temple, and built a new one; and then the younger son was married to the maid.

[Part 2]

[Bahasa]