What Does it Mean to be with The Siddiq(Truthful Ones)?
Let's examine in detail why the word "Siddiq" in verse 119 of Surah At-Tawbah is not referring to those known as "Siddiq" in Sufism and religious orders, and what is actually meant...
The noun Siddiq, derived from the root word Sidq , means "one who speaks the truth very often. Some say it means one who never lies. Others say it means one who is so accustomed to truthfulness that he cannot lie; and still others say it means one who is truthful in his words and beliefs and proves his truthfulness in practice." (Raghib al-Isfahani, al-Mufradat, "ṣdḳ" entry)
O you who have faith! Be wary of Allah, and be with the Truthful.
In the verse above, the word is translated as "with the Truthful" due to its meaning. To help understand who the people mentioned in the verse are, let's read the previous verse:
—and to the three who were left behind. When the earth became narrow for them with [all] its expanse, and their own souls weighed heavily on them, and they knew that there was no refuge from Allah except in Him, then He turned clemently toward them so that they might be penitent. Indeed Allah is the All-clement, the All-merciful.
In his commentary, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Okuyan mentions the verse as follows:
After stating in the previous verse that He accepted the repentance of the three individuals mentioned, Allah, in this verse, likely intends to convey the following message by mentioning an expression in the context of "prohibiting lagging behind the Prophet in jihad," which was the reason for their warning: "O you who believe, be mindful of Allah regarding disobeying the command of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and be with those who are righteous in battle, that is, with the Messenger and his companions; do not be among those who lag behind in battle and those who stay at home with the hypocrites!"
The second commandment, وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِق۪ينَ “Be with the truthful,” mandates unity among the members of the Muslim community, stipulating that they should not shy away from sacrifice, and that they should not be separated from one another in terms of values and principles.
Fahreddin Razi 's interpretation of the verse:
Know that when Allah Almighty announced that He had accepted the repentance of these three individuals, He mentioned the aforementioned matter, namely prohibiting lagging behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in jihad, saying, “O you who believe, fear Allah concerning disobeying the command of the Messenger of Allah, and be with those who are righteous in battle, that is, with the Messenger and his companions. Do not be among those who lag behind in battle and those who stay at home with the hypocrites.” (Tafsir-i Kabir, Volume 12, Page 220)
Zemahshari 's interpretation of the verse:
The expression "with the honest ones" has also been read as "mine's-sādıkīn" (from the honest ones). These are those who are faithful in their intention, word, and deed in the religion of Allah, or those who are faithful in their promise and faith to Allah and His Messenger. Indeed, Allah Almighty says, "Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allah." [Al-Ahzab 33:23] It has also been said that these are "those three people," in which case the meaning is, "Be like those three people in their honesty and steadfastness." It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas that this refers to the believers from among the People of the Book, meaning, "Be with the Muhajirun and the Ansar; agree with them, stand by them, and be like them in their honesty and steadfastness." It has also been said that the expression relates to the Tuleqa who did not participate in the Tabuk expedition. It is narrated that Ibn Mas'ud said, "It is not permissible to lie, whether in jest or seriously. It is also not right for one of you to promise something to a child and then not fulfill it. If you wish, read the verse, 'Be with the truthful.' See if there is any permission granted there!" (Al-Kashshaf, Volume 3, Page 210)
Tabari's interpretation of the verse:
O you who believe, fear Allah by obeying His commands and avoiding His prohibitions. Be among those who obey Allah while you are in this world, so that you may enter Paradise in the Hereafter and be with the righteous. Nafi, Dehhak, and Said b. Jubayr have said that the righteous mentioned here refer to the Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr, Umar, and the other Companions. (Tabari Tafsir, Volume 4, Page 380)
Interpretation of the verse by Kurtubi:
The command from Almighty God, "And be with the truthful," is a truly beautiful command, especially after the story of three individuals who witnessed the benefits of speaking the truth and thus distanced themselves from the hypocrites.
There are differing opinions regarding who is meant by the "believers" and "truthful" mentioned here. It has been said that this command is addressed to all believers. That is, beware of acting contrary to God's commands and "be with the truthful." That is, be with those who went on battle with the Prophet (peace be upon him), not with the hypocrites. In other words, follow the path of the truthful, go in the way they went.
Another view suggests that the "truthful ones" refer to the prophets. That is, by performing righteous deeds, one should be with them in Paradise.
Another view suggests that the "sincere ones" are those referred to in Allah's verse: "It is not righteousness to turn your faces towards the east and the west... It is those who are sincere" (Al-Baqara, 2:177).
Another view is that the truthful are those who fulfill their promises and covenants. This is supported by the verse from the Quran: “Among the believers are men who have been steadfast in their covenant with Allah.” (Al-Ahzab, 33:23)
It has also been said that these were the Muhajirun (emigrants). Because, on the day he was chosen as caliph, Abu Bakr said: "Surely Allah calls us 'those who are truthful' for the poor Muhajirun who were driven out of their homes and possessions... those are the truthful ones." (Al-Hashr 59:8) Then, in the verse, "And those who were before them in Medina and believed..." (Al-Hashr 59:9), He calls you the successful ones, the saved ones. (Ahkami'l Kur'an, Volume 8, Page 443 )
As can be seen, the attempts of religious orders and communities, whose history is no older than the Ottoman era, to find evidence from the Quran for themselves and their rituals are unfortunately documented by the fact that these attempts are not even found in the interpretations of great commentators who lived long before them.