If It Is Not True, It Is A Lie

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

You see people lie left and right as if it is nothing and to some, lying has become a career.

Lying is to inform of a matter contrary to reality. If this is accidental, it is overlooked, but if it is intentional then it is a clear sin that must be avoided at all costs. It is equally considered a lie whether one is serious or joking. A person should do his utmost to stick to the truth in all of his words, even if he fears it will take him to his destruction.

If it is not true, it is a lie. Someone who lies has one of the four characteristics of a hypocrite.

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

Whoever has (the following) four characters will be a hypocrite, and whoever has one of the following four characteristics will have one characteristic of hypocrisy until he gives it up. These are: (1 ) Whenever he talks, he tells a lie; (2) whenever he makes a promise, he breaks it; (3) whenever he makes a covenant he proves treacherous; (4) and whenever he quarrels, he behaves impudently in an evil insulting manner.

[Bukhari]

Allah Almighty says,

إِنَّ اللَّـهَ جَامِعُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا ....

...Indeed Allah will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together.

[Qur'an An-Nisa 4:140]

Abdullah bin Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

It is incumbent upon you to always be truthful, for truthfulness guides to absolute piety and piety leads to Paradise. A man who always tells the truth and pursues the truth is written with Allah as a truthful one. Refrain from lying, for lying guides to sinfulness and sinfulness leads to Hellfire. A man continues to tell lies and pursues lies until he is written with Allah as a liar.

[Bukhari and Muslim]

Truthfulness is a great virtue of Islam. So Muslims should not lie even if the truth hurts. If you lie, you are giving a green light to your children to lie as well. You are their great example. What if they lie to you?

It is important that our children learn that lying has consequences, one of which is curfew or grounded (or lose one or more privileges, etc). Promote honesty and uphold truth in your family and be there to catch your loved ones with loving arms and mercy if you ever caught them lying.

It is reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

No father can give his children a better gift than good manners.

[Tirmidhi]

It is reported that the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

It is not permissible to lie except in three: a man lying to his wife to please her, a lie in war, and a lie to rectify between people.

(Tirmidhi)

Scholars conclude: If one desires to attain a praiseworthy goal which one can attain through lying and through speaking the truth, then lying is unlawful. If one can only acquire it by lying, then it is permissible if attaining the goal is permissible, and obligatory if attaining the goal is obligatory. Thus, if one sees someone innocent hiding from an oppressor who wants to harm him, lying is obligatory; and whenever the objective of a war, or rectifying between people and winning the heart of someone hurt by another, or pleasing one’s spouse is not possible except through lying then it is permissible.

May Allah make us among the truthful and increase us in taqwa and iman. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam