Fasting Beyond Hunger: Guarding Your Tongue Personally and Politically - Maulana Syed Muhammad Rizvi

Friday Juma KhutbaFebruary 27th, 2026- One of the most important moral lessons of fasting is developing truthfulness and integrity in speech- Among the ten acts forbidden during fasting, most relate to physical desires, but falsely attributing lies to Allāh, the Prophets, or the Imāms holds unique spiritual severity- Truthfulness forms the foundation of human character and personal credibility- The Prophet Muhammad (ṣ) was known as aṣ-Ṣādiq and al-Amīn even before prophethood, showing that moral integrity precedes religious leadership- Truthfulness is required in family life, social relations, business dealings, and international agreements- Political hypocrisy and contradictory global policies are presented as modern examples of the consequences of dishonesty- Modern examples highlight the consequences of dishonesty, such as U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East under President Trump, particularly regarding Iran’s nuclear program- Trump claimed Iran’s nuclear program had been destroyed, despite repeated Iranian statements confirming they would never develop nuclear weapons- Qur’ānic verses warn against those who claim reform while spreading corruption unknowingly- Lying is always ḥarām, but lying about divine authorities invalidates the fast, highlighting the elevated status of truth- Ordinary lies weaken the spiritual value of fasting even if they do not nullify it- Imām aṣ-Ṣādiq (a) teaches that people should be judged by truthfulness and trustworthiness rather than outward worship alone- The status of Imām ʿAlī (a) near the Prophet (ṣ) was achieved through truthful speech and fulfillment of trusts- Supplications of the Imāms prioritize truthfulness and fulfilling trusts even before acts of worship- True followers are instructed to combine taqwā, struggle for Allah, honesty, and safeguarding trusts- Maintaining good relations with others and sincerity in conduct reflects the teachings brought by the Prophet (ṣ)- Fasting ultimately aims to reform moral character, with ṣidq serving as its central pillarDonate towards our programs today: https://jaffari.org/donate/Jaffari Community Centre (JCC Live)