Lying Is A Sin!

One of the biggest things in life that I hate, is lies. It makes me so sad if I learn that someone lied to me. It hurts me a lot. Sometimes people lie to simply just hide the truth, whilst other times they lie because the truth is too bad to tell. Either way, lying is haram and should be avoided! Personally I always want to know the truth, whether the truth hurts more than the lie, because at the end if I realise someone lied to me, I will be more sad and my trust for this person decreases.

Nobody is completely flawless. Everyone in this world has sometimes said a lie or two, but some people are way worse than others. Some people always lie, whilst others almost never lie. You have those who only give white lies, those who repeat their lies so many times that they almost believe it themselves, and those who constantly lie. Whether it's a small or a big lie, a normal or a white lie, it is haram. Do not lie. When you lie you just hurt the other person, I'm talking by experience. Someone who repeatedly lies to me hurts me a lot.

The Prophet (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "The best amongst you are those who have the best manners and character." [Al-Bukhari]

A person with good manners, doesn't lie. He doesn't fool others and he is polite. You can trust him and believe in him. A true Muslim should be true to himself and others.

Muhammed (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) is also reported to have said: "I saw (in a dream), two men came to me. They said: The person, whose cheek you saw being torn away from the mouth to the ear was a liar, and used to tell lies. The people would report those lies on his authority till they spread all over the world. So he will be punished like that until the Day of Resurrection." [Narrated by Sumurah bin Junbub]

By telling lies, we might as well be punished in this life as in the other. The lies we tell can come back to us and haunt us, depending on their seriousness.

From the Quran we find: "Oh you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds.)" - Quran 9:119

From another hadith we find that Allah's Messenger (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "There are four signs of a hypocrite; when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; when he is trusted, he betrays his trust; and when he quarrels, he abuses." [Al-Bukhari & Muslim, narrated by Abu Huraira]

He used the word hypocrite. A person who lies is not Muslim. Hypocrites they lie, break promises and betrays. The last words "when he quarrels, he abuses" means he hides what is right when he is arguing. Hypocrites will be in the bottom of Hell! Don't take on characteristics of them.

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) says in the Quran says: "The hypocrites will be in the lowest depth of the Fire: no helper wilt thou find for them" - Quran 4:145

He (Allah) also said: "And that He may punish the hypocrites, men and women, and the polytheists men and women, who imagine an evil opinion of God. On them is a round of evil: the wrath of Allah is on them: He has cursed them and got Hell ready for them: and evil is it for a destination." - Quran 48:6

This warns us against hypocrisy and to be truthful, never tell lies. A person also swearing by Allah and saying "wallahy" when he is lying, to make people believe him, will have a great punishment. Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) knows what you are doing. Swearing is also haram.

Not even in small daily life matters is lying allowed, e.g. a mother was calling her child saying she would give him something if he came when she called him, and then the Prophet (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) warned her that if she didn't give it to him, then she is a liar. Even in jokes we shouldn't tell lies, and Prophet Muhammed (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) never did that.

In a hadith it's stated: "Woe to the person who tells lies as jokes to make people laugh. Woe to him, woe to him!" The Prophet (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) also said: "I guarantee a palace in the middle of Jannah (Paradise) to the one who doesn't lie in telling jokes."

Look at the reward for not lying in a joke, think about the great punishment in lying in "normal" matters! We have a lot to gain by stop lying, we will get our rewards at the end, but in the mean time we will become better persons that people can trust.

It's not even permissible to lie out of shyness or being afraid to ask for something, that is also haram. Aisha (radi allahu anha) had some women visiting her house. The Prophet (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) offered food to Aisha and the women. They declined out of shyness even though they were hungry. The Prophet (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) exclaimed: "Hungry and liars! Do not combine lying with being hungry."

If you want something, just ask for it. It's not permissible to lie about a dream or inspiration or anything, basically all lies are haram!

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) said in the Quran: "Who can be more wicked than the one who invents a lie against Allah or said "I have received inspiration" when he has received none ..." - Quran 6:93

You can't call someone who is not your mother, for your mother. You can't call anyone your uncle, when he is not. You need to use the right words for the right persons, or else you are also considered as a liar.

Another important hadith says: "Truthfulness leads to al-birr (righteousness) and al-birr (righteousness) leads to Jannah (Paradise), a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes known as a truthful person. Falsehood leads to al-fujur (wickedness-evil-doing), and al-fujur leads to the Hell Fire, a man keeps on telling lies until he is written as a liar before Allah." [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

If a person continues to lie, maybe one day he will not be able to tell the truth again.
In the Quran it says: "Allah guides not him who is a liar and ungrateful." - Quran 39:3

A person should do his best to always tell the truth, this will make him become a better Muslim and eventually lead him to Paradise inshaAllah. Lying is a bad habit, that can be stopped. When I was younger I said a lot of lies, but now I do not directly lie any more alhamdullilah. Just small ones, but I will get rid of those as well inshaAllah. To my boyfriend, I can't lie. I don't know why, but it's impossible for me to lie to him. I aways tell him the truth in everything. To other people sometimes I can give a small lie, but after I lied I feel so bad inside, and I feel I made a big mistake and I ask Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) for forgiveness, and I try to not make it again. If you want people to trust you and count on you, you can't lie. You need to be truthful in everything.

To sum up the importance of how bad lying is; Prophet Muhammed (sallalahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said: "Whoever lies, Allah will have his tongue cut out in Hell. His tongue will be made to grow back again, and this process will be repeated over and over."

Ouch, I feel my tongue hurt just by thinking about this painful torment of the liars. All of these extracts from the Quran kareem and ahadith show that lying is an important topic in Islam.

Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) knows best.