By Umm Abdillaah al-Waadi’eeyyah

A lie is that which opposes, and is at variance with actual reality.

Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, said:

It is only those who believe not in the Aayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allâh, who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who are liars. [Soorah An-Nahl (16):105]

Lying is from the signs of the hypocrite

Lying is from the signs of the hypocrite as is reported in the Saheehayn upon the authority of Aboo Hurairah (radiyallaahu anhu) that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

“The signs of the hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks he lies, whenever he promises he breaks it, and if you trust him he proves to be dishonest.”

Lying leads to wickedness

It is reported in the Saheehayn upon the authority of Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood said that the Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man continues to tell the truth and strives to be truthful until he is written before Allaah as a trustworthy person. Lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the Hell Fire. A man keeps telling lies until he is written before Allaah as a liar.”

The person whose disposition is to lie, and is accustomed to lying so much so that it becomes part of his character, will be written before Allaah as a liar, in the midst of the liars. Surely, nobody would be pleased that it be said about them that they are a liar, in the presence of the people. So is it not more deserving that they prevent themselves from being written as a liar before Allaah, and his Lord is the One who created and sustained him? We ask Allaah for well being.

Consequently, the people will not believe the one who lies. His narrations will be discarded and he will be loathed and detested by the people.

The poet spoke truthfully when he said:

How foul are lies! The one who lies is detested
How beautiful is truthfulness, to Allaah and the people.

Lying is from the major sins

It is reported in al-Bukhaari upon the authority of Samurah bin Jundab.

“The Messenger of Allaah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to regularly say to his Companions: ‘Who amongst you had a dream last night?’ So he would narrate that which Allaah had willed for him to narrate. One day he said to us: ‘Two men came to me last night, so they sent me and said, “Proceed,” so I proceeded with them.”

There comes in the hadeeth:

“As for the one you passed, and his cheeks, nostrils and eyes were being torn away, from front to back, he was a liar. He used to leave his house in the morning and tell a lie which would spread all over the world.”

The greatest of all lies is lying upon Allaah

He, the Most High, said:

Then, who does more wrong than one who utters a lie against Allâh, and denies the truth [this Qur'ân, the Prophet (Muhammad (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)), the Islâmic Monotheism, the Resurrection and the reward or punishment according to good or evil deeds] when it comes to him! Is there not in Hell an abode for the disbelievers? [Soorah Az-Zumar (39):32]

He, The Most High said:

And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allâh or denies the truth (Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) and his doctrine of Islâmic Monotheism and this Qur'ân), when it comes to him? Is there not a dwelling in Hell for disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allâh and in His Messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam))? [Soorah Al-‘Ankaboot (29):18]

Different forms of lying

Promising to give a child something and in (actuality) it is a lie. Like when the mother says to her child: ‘Come here, I will give you this,’ and if he came she would not give him anything. There is a hadeeth relating to this reported by Imaam Ahmad (2/452) by way of IbnShihaab upon the authority of Aboo Hurairah that the Prophet (Salla Allaahu ‘alayhi wassallam) said:

“Whosoever says to their child: ‘Come, I will give you this,’ and they do not give them anything, then this is a lie.”