The dangers of lying

Allah, to whom all praise and glory is due, said:

Not a word does one utter but there is a watcher by it ready (to record).

 And Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

Truth leads to piety, and piety leads to paradise. A man persists in speaking the truth until he is recorded with Allah as a truthful person. Falsehood leads to transgression, and transgression leads to Hellfire. A man continues to lie until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.

Lying is to speak opposite of reality or opposite of truth, and this is forbidden by Allah and His messenger (pbuh). It is narrated that Muhammad (pbuh) was asked, "Can a believer be a coward?" Muhammad (pbuh) answered, "Yes." He was further asked, "Can a believer be stingy?" He (pbuh) answered, "Yes." He was then asked, "Can a believer be a liar?" He (pbuh) responded, "No."

Thus, Muhammad (pbuh) ruled that though a believer may be a coward or stingy due to weakness in faith, he cannot be a liar, as lying is not a characteristic of the believers.

Allah, to whom all praise and glory is due, said:

Surely, Allah does not guide the one who is a transgressor, a liar!

And Allah, to whom all praise and glory is due, said:

It is only those who believe not in the verses of Allah who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who are liars.

Zain al-Abideen Ali bin Hussan (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his children, "Beware of lies, whether small or big, in serious talk and in jokes, because the one who lies in small things also lies in big things. Know it that the messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'A man persists in speaking the truth until he is recorded with Allah as a truthful person. A man continues to lie until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.'"

Lying is a terrible thing that has several manifestations. Among these are false oaths, false testimony, breaking promises, and lying for entertainment.

False Oath

When a man gives a false oath by swearing about something that he knows to be false, this is the biggest of all lies. Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Beware of the false oath, as it causes destruction of a house with its inhabitants."

We often observe traders and merchants taking false oaths to describe their merchandise to be good when in fact it is not. This false oath is called in Arabic as the Oath of Ghamoos and it pushes a person toward hellfire. One who makes a false of should repent and never return to lying.

Abdullah ibn Umer ibn Al-Aas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that a Bedouin came to Muhammad (pbuh) and said, "Oh Messenger of Allah! Which sins are the cardinal sins?" Muhammad (pbuh) said, "To associate partners with Allah." The Bedouin said, "Then which one?" He (pbuh) said, "al-yameen al-ghamoos". Abdullah asked, "What is al-yameen al-ghamoos?" Muhammad (pbuh) answered, "Swearing falsely to usurp the property of a Muslim."

Abu Umama Al-Harithi narrated that Muhammad (pbuh) said, "He who usurped the right of a Muslim through false oath, Allah will surely put him into Fire, and will forbid him Paradise." A man said, "Even for a small thing, O Messenger of Allah?" Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Even for a piece of Miswak (a small stick used to clean the teeth)!"

False testimony

False testimony is a grave thing as it results in freeing the oppressor and punishing the oppressed, and destroys Muslim unity. That is why Allah commanded:

Shun false statements.

 Abu Bakhra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that Muhammad (pbuh) said, "'Shouldn't I inform you of the biggest of cardinal sins?' We said, 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah!' He (pbuh) said, 'Associating partners with Allah and disobedience to the parents.' He was reclining and then he sat up and said, 'Beware of false statements.' And he (pbuh) kept on repeating this until we wished he would stop."

Allah and His messenger (pbuh) have forbidden false oath and false testimony as these are harmful for Muslims both in this world and the Hereafter. The one who indulges in false oath and false testimony invites the wrath of Allah in this world and the Hereafter. And a similar fate is due to the one who assists someone in false oath or false testimony. Allah said:

Help one another in righteousness and piety, and do not help one another in sin and transgression.

Breaking Promises and Lying for Entertainment

Keeping a promise is one of the characteristics of a believer, and breaking the promise is the characteristic of the hypocrite. Allah told us about Ishmael (pbuh):

Mention in the Book about Ishmael. Surely! He was true in his promise, and he was a messenger, and a prophet.

Some scholars said that Ishmael (pbuh) promised a person for something and then waited for him for one year but the person did not return.

When a person makes a promise he should fulfill it. Unfortunately, some Muslims break their promises and thus cause a breaking of Muslim unity. We as an ummah need to refrain from such behavior as it is forbidden (haraam).

Lying for entertainment means to forge a lie to make other people laugh. This is forbidden. Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Woe to him who utters a falsehood to make people laugh. Woe to him. Again, woe to him."

Every single category of lying is harmful and dangerous. One of the ways lying harms us is that a liar is not trusted by people. Even if he tells the truth, people will assume it is a lie. Another way lies harm is that it weakens Muslim unity. A truthful person is honored and respected by people, and this helps strengthen Muslim unity.

What Causes a Person to Lie?

One of the causes that prompts a person to lie is habit. A person may tell lies out of habit, e.g. he or she is a habitual liar. Another cause is greed. A person who is greedy and not content with what Allah provides for him or her is prone to lying. Another cause is enmity and envy. A person who has envy or enmity for other people is vulnerable to telling lies.

How Do We Stop Lying?

We should strive to speak the truth and shun lying, as this is one way to end lying. Muhammad (pbuh) said, "Knowledge comes by learning, and tolerance comes by practice, and he who seeks good is given that." So, when a Muslim tries to practice patience, Allah gives the Muslim patience. And when a Muslim tries to practice tolerance, Allah gives the Muslim toleranc. And when a Muslim tries to give up lying, telling the truth will be easy for the Muslim.

Another way to stop lying is to listen to the stories of the Companions and their followers. Truthfulness was among the characteristics that they had learned from Muhammad (pbuh), who was called As-Sadiq, Al-Amin (the truthful, the trust worthy); he (pbuh) neither lied, nor broke trust.

Remember that Allah, to whom all praise and glory is due, said:

O you who believe! Be conscious of Allah, and be with those who are truthful.

And Allah knows best.