Truths About Lying

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

Assalaamu alaykum

Lying can become addictive and destructive, destroying relationships, families, communities, even whole countries. The Qur'an and Sunnah are clear on where the true road lies.

1. We must not lie, even if this might win us an advantage.

Safwan ibn Sulaym said, "The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) was asked, 'Can the believer be a coward?' He said, 'Yes.' He was asked, 'Can the believer be a miser?' He said, 'Yes.' He was asked, 'Can the believer be a liar?' He said, 'No.' " [Muwatta]

وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّتِى نَقَضَتْ غَزْلَهَا مِنۢ بَعْدِ قُوَّةٍ أَنكَـٰثًا تَتَّخِذُونَ أَيْمَـٰنَكُمْ دَخَلًۢا بَيْنَكُمْ أَن تَكُونَ أُمَّةٌ هِىَ أَرْبَىٰ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَبْلُوكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦ ۚ وَلَيُبَيِّنَنَّ لَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ مَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ ﴿٩٢

And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strong [by] taking your oaths as [means of] deceit between you because one community is more plentiful [in number or wealth] than another community. Allah only tries you thereby. And He will surely make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection that over which you used to differ. [Qur'an, An-Nahl 16:92]

2. We must not only avoid lying, we must also avoid supporting liars in their sins.

وَلَا تُجَـٰدِلْ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ خَوَّانًا أَثِيمًا ﴿١٠٧

And do not argue on behalf of those who deceive themselves. Indeed, Allah loves not one who is a habitually sinful deceiver. [Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:107]

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ ﴿١١٩

O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with those who are true. (119) [Qur'an, At-Tawba 9:119]

3. When we lie, we lie first to ourselves— which puts us on a slippery slope to Hellfire.

يُخَـٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴿٩

They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not. [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:9]

‘Abd Allah (b. Mas’ud) reported the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) as saying, "Avoid falsehood, for falsehood leads to wickedness, and wickedness to hell; and if a man continues to speak falsehood and makes falsehood his object, he will be recorded in Allah’s presence as a great liar. And adhere to truth, for truth leads to good deeds, and good deeds lead to paradise. If a man continues to speak the truth and makes truth his object, he will be recorded in Allah’s presence as eminently truthful." [Abu Dawood]

4. Lying is a disease of the heart that only gets worse if left uncorrected.

فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مَرَضًا ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْذِبُونَ ﴿١٠

In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie. [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:10]

فَأَعْقَبَهُمْ نِفَاقًا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يَلْقَوْنَهُۥ بِمَآ أَخْلَفُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ مَا وَعَدُوهُ وَبِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْذِبُونَ ﴿٧٧

So He penalized them with hypocrisy in their hearts until the Day they will meet Him – because they failed Allah in what they promised Him and because they [habitually] used to lie. [Qur'an, At-Tawba 9:77]

5. Lying— especially lying about Allah— is a symptom of injustice and results in extreme humiliation.

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ ٱفْتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ قَالَ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ وَلَمْ يُوحَ إِلَيْهِ شَىْءٌ وَمَن قَالَ سَأُنزِلُ مِثْلَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْ تَرَىٰٓ إِذِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ فِى غَمَرَ‌ٰتِ ٱلْمَوْتِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ بَاسِطُوٓا۟ أَيْدِيهِمْ أَخْرِجُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمُ ۖ ٱلْيَوْمَ تُجْزَوْنَ عَذَابَ ٱلْهُونِ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَقُولُونَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ غَيْرَ ٱلْحَقِّ وَكُنتُمْ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ تَسْتَكْبِرُونَ ﴿٩٣

And who is more unjust than one who invents a lie about Allah or says, ‘It has been inspired to me,’ while nothing has been inspired to him, and one who says, ‘I will reveal [something] like what Allah revealed.’ And if you could but see when the wrongdoers are in the overwhelming pangs of death while the angels extend their hands, [saying], ‘Discharge your souls! Today you will be awarded the punishment of [extreme] humiliation for what you used to say against Allah other than the truth and [that] you were, toward His verses, being arrogant.’ [Qur'an, Al-An'am 6:93]

6. How do we tell liars from truth tellers? Allah doesn’t guide liars.

وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مُّؤْمِنٌ مِّنْ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَـٰنَهُۥٓ أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَن يَقُولَ رَبِّىَ ٱللَّهُ وَقَدْ جَآءَكُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتِ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ وَإِن يَكُ كَـٰذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُهُۥ ۖ وَإِن يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبْكُم بَعْضُ ٱلَّذِى يَعِدُكُمْ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ كَذَّابٌ ﴿٢٨

And a believing man from the family of Pharaoh who concealed his faith said, ‘Do you kill a man [merely] because he says, “My Lord is Allah” while he has brought you clear proofs from your Lord? And if he should be lying, then upon him is [the consequence of] his lie; but if he should be truthful, there will strike you some of what he promises you. Indeed, Allah does not guide one who is a transgressor and a liar.’ [Qur'an, Ghafir 40:28]

7. We don’t need to worry about guarding ourselves against deception; Allah is ever ready to protect us.

وَإِن يُرِيدُوٓا۟ أَن يَخْدَعُوكَ فَإِنَّ حَسْبَكَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَيَّدَكَ بِنَصْرِهِۦ وَبِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٦٢

But if they intend to deceive you – then sufficient for you is Allah. It is He who supported you with His help and with the believers. [Qur'an, Al-Anfal 8:62]

8. No one can ever get away with lying; in the end it will be clear who was truthful and who was not.

وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۖ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ ﴿٣

But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars. [Qur'an, Al-Ankabut 29:3]

9. The truthful have a tremendous reward.

قَالَ ٱللَّهُ هَـٰذَا يَوْمُ يَنفَعُ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ صِدْقُهُمْ ۚ لَهُمْ جَنَّـٰتٌ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَـٰرُ خَـٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَدًا ۚ رَّضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا۟ عَنْهُ ۚ ذَ‌ٰلِكَ ٱلْفَوْزُ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ﴿١١٩

Allah will say, ‘This is the Day when the truthful will benefit from their truthfulness.’ For them are gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever, Allah being pleased with them, and they with Him. That is the great attainment. [Qur'an, Al-Ma'ida 5:119]

So, embrace truth. It's your road to Jannah.

وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّ‌سُولَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَٱلصِّدِّيقِينَ وَٱلشُّهَدَآءِ وَٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ رَ‌فِيقًا ﴿٦٩

And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the Prophets (Nabiyyeen), the steadfast affirmers of truth (Siddiqeen), the martyrs (Shuhada') and the righteous (Soliheen). And excellent are those as companions. [Qur'an, An-Nisa 4:69]

اَللّٰهُمَّ أَرِنَا اْلحَقَّ حَقًّا وَّارْزُقْنَا اتِّبَاعَه، وَأَرِنَا اْلبَاطِلَ بَاطِلًا وَّارْزُقْنَا اجْتِنَابَهْ

O Allah, enable us to see the truth as truth and give us the ability to follow it, and
enable us to see the falsehood as false and give us the ability to refrain from it.

May Allah purify our hearts and make us of those who are truthful.

Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam