Does honesty pay off in politics too?

Yes. Whoever holds to honesty firmly and without exception never fails in the end. Where it is missing, the damage to politics, morality and human values is almost beyond repair.

People often say that honesty is good in private life but a disadvantage in politics. Islam sees it differently. Honesty is not a tool to be picked up or put aside depending on the situation. It is a value that applies everywhere, in one’s own home as much as in parliament.

Whether honesty pays off immediately or only after a long time is not the decisive point. What matters is what happens when it is abandoned. Where politicians lie, people lose trust. With trust go order, morality and respect for one another. This damage reaches into every sphere of life.

The second verse above shows how seriously the Holy Qur’an takes this. One must be just and truthful even when it speaks against oneself, one’s parents or one’s relatives. For a politician, this means staying with the truth even when it costs votes or reputation.

The hadith above describes the long road. Truth leads to goodness, and lying leads to evil. One lie draws another after it, until a person is entirely governed by lies. It is no different with a government.

At the same time, Islam recognises that people differ in strength. Highest of all stands the one who is ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of truth. Such people are loved by God. And in the long run, they are the ones people trust.