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05

Being Honest (SITE)

Materials from the Pathways Book

  • Materials: Further Reading section from page 18-20.
  • Instruction: Homeroom teacher can make lesson plan based on the materials in the book.

Alternatives materials that can be used

  • Presentation
  • Game

HONESTY IN SPEECH — THE KEY TO TRUST

Image by vendatu.com

The Story of the Shepherd Boy and the Wolf

A shepherd boy used to watch his master’s sheep near a dark forest, not far from his village. Feeling bored in the pasture, he often entertained himself by playing with his dog and playing his flute.

One day, while watching the sheep near the forest, he wondered what he would do if he really saw a wolf. He remembered that his master had told him:

“If you see a wolf attacking the sheep, shout for help and the villagers will come to help you.”

The boy thought it would be funny to pretend he saw a wolf and call the villagers for help. Even though there was no wolf, he ran toward the village and shouted as loud as he could:

“Wolf! Wolf!”

Just as he expected, the villagers quickly stopped what they were doing and ran to help him — only to find the boy laughing loudly because he had tricked them.

A few days later, the boy did it again. He shouted “Wolf! Wolf!” and once again the villagers came running, only to find him laughing again.

One evening, as the sun was setting, a real wolf appeared and attacked the sheep. The boy was very scared and ran to the village shouting:

“Wolf! Wolf!”

But this time, the villagers didn’t come.

“He won’t fool us again,” they said.

The wolf killed many sheep and then ran back into the forest.

A liar will not be trusted, even when they tell the truth.

Honesty and Why It Matters

Honesty — in both words and actions — is a quality expected from every person. It is also one of the greatest commands of God to people of faith. One verse from the Qur’an says:

“O you who believe, fear Allah and speak words of truth.” (Qur’an, Surah Al-Ahzab: 70)

Truthfulness is very important in speech. It builds love and trust among people and is a key part of order and harmony in society. Honesty in actions is just as important.

Being honest means your heart matches your words. If a person says one thing today and another tomorrow, people will stop trusting them. Without trust, they cannot be given important responsibilities or true friendship. That is why lying — the opposite of honesty — can cause many problems.

A famous scholar, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, once said:

“You must speak the truth in every word, but you do not have the right to say every truth in every place. You must be honest in all speech, but it is not right to say everything.”

There is a saying:

“Whoever plants seeds will harvest the fruits.”

This also applies to honesty. Even if honest people face difficulties at first, in the end they will enjoy the benefits.

Honesty is a key principle for success in life. Lying, on the other hand, is the source of many problems. Honesty is respected in every culture and civilization, while lying is rejected everywhere. If lying becomes a habit, people will never trust a liar — even if one day they tell the truth.

Discussion and Reflection

  • What does it mean to be honest in words and actions?
  • Have you ever experienced a story or event about honesty? Share it with the class.
  • Is it okay to lie as a joke?

Game: “Honesty Cards”

The teacher prepares cards from pieces of paper.
Each card has a task, such as singing a folk song or listing good deeds.

  • The teacher calls out a task, and the student with that card shows it and tries to do the task.
  • Or, the student checks the task on their card and gives it back to the teacher.

Cards Example