LYING

 Telling the opposite of the fact or of the thing that one knows or expressing that with behaviors in order to deceive others. The Arabic equivalent is “kizb”.

 To deceive others is a very bad behavior. Islam considers lying as evil and states it as an aspect of infidels.

 “It is those who believe not in the Signs of Allah that forge falsehood: it is they who lie!” (1)

 “Is it not to Allah that sincere devotion is due? But those who take for protectors other than Allah (say): "We only serve them in order that they may bring us nearer to Allah." Truly Allah will judge between them in that wherein they differ. But Allah guides not such as are false and ungrateful.” (2)

 A wise person should avoid lying. Because the most important quality of a Muslim is his honesty and trustworthiness. There are many verses and hadith which state that lying is a forbidden act. As an instance of this, it is declared: “When someone tells a lie such a bad smell goes out of his mouth that angels goes a way for a mile because of it’s filthiness.” There is much information similar to this. One should keep in mind that lying is forbidden and regarded as sin in all divine religions. In the doctrines of modern society, lying is described as the worst behavior.

 A liar wants to convince the other person to what he says. So he makes a treachery to a believer without reason. It’s certain that such a lie is a reason although it gives no other harm. But beside this there are very bad results of telling lie which reach up to the point of the ruin of the cities and towns and the destruction of people.

 Some Muslim’s property and honor are destroyed by lying. Because they cause a lot of harm. Some lies are more severe than others in respect of injustice and being forbidden. There are some lies which are tolerated and given permission.

 Two kinds of lie are strictly forbidden and evil:

1. the most severe type of the lies, because of the badness in their essence, they do a lot of harms. The most base of this group is the ones that ascribe lie on Hadrat Muhammed -Peace be upon Him- and which is directed to alter the principles of Islam and spoil the fundamentals of the belief. So in a Hadith it is declared: “Who purposely ascribes a lie on me and communicates a word that I didn’t say, he’d better to prepare his place in gehenna/hell!”
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(1) Chapter Nahl, 16/105.
(2) Chapter Zümer, 39/3.

2. Telling lies when there is no need is an aspect of liars. In this respect in an Hadith it is sadi: “Allah Almighty doesn’t look to the liar president, to the haughty poor and the old adulterer” Savants interpreted this Hadith in this way: A head of state who tells lie although he has no need, a haughty poor although pride is not proper to him, an adulterer old man although his lust is weakened and adultery is not proper for him at all; the deeds of these people are the greatest crime, ugliest rebellion and most base behaviors.

 The sort of lie which are tolerated-mubah-, laudable -mendup- and approved -müstehab- in religion are the ones that told to reconcile Muslims, to avoid the harms of the defeatists. For instance if a cruel one runs after a good person to kill him and the pursued one comes to a place, when the cruel person asks the people around if they saw the man, their lying as we didn’t see him to protect and save the person is laudable in religion perhaps it’s a due. Again if there is enmity between two people to remove this feeling telling lie is approved by religion. It’s proper to lie in order to reconcile a husband and a wife and to cause them love each other whose relation has spoiled. In war to prevent the damage of enemy telling lie, is seen as tolerated.

 The terse saying “The lie which establishes order and become useful is better than the truth which causes instigation and disorders.” summarizes that. (1)
But one should be cautious in two respects while telling lies about tolerated cases:

•  Is there a real necessity for telling lie? This should be considered carefully. Some people regard as proper to lie in order to provide material benefit for themselves.



•  When the excuse and necessity is removed, one shouldn’t turn to lie. It’s narrated that Imam Sabi used to tell his servant about some people that he didn’t want to meet; when those people come, tell them that “he is not home”. These kinds of behavior is named as
  “meariz”. If it’s possible to escape from something, telling lie is not proper. So savants say that:

“Speaking allusively protects from lying.”

 Concerning lying, families should behave carefully. They shouldn’t give an example of lie to the children in the age of education. It’s very important to keep their words given to the child in the development of character. . If they don't keep their promises the child’s pure mind would get used to the lying which comes first among evils.
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(1) Description of Ethics, A. Rifat

 They asked to Our Prophet -Peace be upon Him-
-Is it possible for a believer being timid?
-Yes he can. He said,
-Can a believer be stingy?
-Yes he said,
-Is it possible for a believer being liar? They said.
-No, he can not be, The Prophet declared. (1)

 A liar is disgarced both in this world and in the other. Because as a person gets used to telling lies he is stigmatized as liar before Allah The Most High.

 Our Prophet declared: “Take up honesty seriously and do not abandon it. Because honesty leads a person to goodness and goodness guides to Paradise. As a person speaks true and search for the truth he is marked as honest before Allah. Avoid lying because lie leads one to badness and badness leads to Gehenna/hell. As a person tell lies and run after lie he is stigmatized as liar before Allah “82)
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(1) Muvatta, Imam Malik
(2) Buhari, Edep, 69; Muslim, Birr,29