Telling lies (1/2)

Allah Most High states,

“Then let us earnestly pray and invoke the curse of Allah on those who lie!” (Surah Al-‘Imran: 61)

“Allah guides not one who transgresses and lies!” (Surah Ghafir: 28)

“Cursed be the conjecturers (the liars).” (Surah Al-Dhariyat: 10)

On the authority of Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), "the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said,

"Adhere firmly to truthfulness for truthfulness surely leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise, and a man is recorded with Allah as a sincere one as long as he is truthful. However, lying leads to immorality and immorality leads to the Hell-Fire, and a man is recorded with Allah as a liar as long as he lies.” [1]

He (Peace be upon him) also said,

"Three are the signs of the hypocrite, even if he prays, fasts, and pretends to be a Muslim: When he talks, he lies; when he makes a promise he breaks it; and when he is given a trust, he betrays it.”[2]

In another narration it is reported on the authority of ' Abdullah Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said,

"Four traits if found together in a person make him a hypocrite. Whoever has one of these, possesses one of the hypocritical characteristics until he renounces it: When he speaks, he lies; when he draws a contract, he breaches it, When he makes a promise, he breaks it; and he abuses his opponents in time of dispute.”[3]

AI-Bukhari reported in his Sahih the following hadith on the authority of Samarah Ibn Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him):

"The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) used to ask, "Did anyone of you see a dream?" So those whom Allah wished to tell would narrate dreams to him. One morning the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, "Last night two persons came to me in a dream and woke me up and said to me, 'Proceed!' I set out with them... And we came to a man laying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of man's mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back of the neck and tear his nose from front to back and his eyes from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did just as he had done with the other side. He hardly completed this side when the other side returned to its normal state. Then he returned to repeat what he had done before. I said to my two companions, 'Glory be to Allah! Who are these two persons?'... They said, 'This man is the symbol of the person who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world.' "

Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) also said,

"The believer may be naturally disposed to any shortcoming except treachery and lying.”[4]

Other hadith states,

"Beware of suspicion for suspicion is the most untruthful of speech.”[5]

"There are Three types of people with whom Allah would neither speak to on the Day of Judgment, nor would He look towards them, nor would He purify them (from sins) and there would be a tormenting chastisement for them: The aged adulterer, the lying ruler and the destitute who is full of pride.”[6]

"Woe to the one who tells lies to make people laugh. Woe to him, woe to him.”[7]

False oaths are more heinous than the normal lying. Allah says about the character of the hypocrites:

“And they swear to falsehood knowingly.” (Surah AI-Mujadilah: 14)

(Continued)