Part 8: Lying (Kadhib)- Heart Therapy

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Read Part 7(b): Battling Hasad-Cures and Remedies

Concept: Lying is a very serious sin in the sight of Allah.

Proofs: “O you who believe! Be afraid of Allah, and be with those who are true (in word and deeds).” (9:119)

Abd Allah ibn Amir (RA) said, “One day, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) came to my house when I was a child, I went to play and my mother called me saying, “O Abd Allah, come so that I can give you something.” The Prophet (SAW) asked, “What did you intend to give him?” She said that she wanted to give me some dates. He said, “If you did not, then a lie would be written against you.” (Abu Dawud)

This is how serious the Prophet (SAW) took someone’s word. If someone says something he is expected to tell the truth.

Once after the death of the Prophet (SAW), Abu Bakr gave a khutbah. He said, “The Messenger of Allah stood in this very place in the first year.” and then he cried, and he said, “Indeed lying leads to inequity and indeed inequity leads to the fire. A man will lie until he is written as a liar with Allah.” (Agreed upon)

Hukm (Ruling): Many scholars considered lying to be of the major sins. Ali (RA) said, “The greatest of sins in the sight of Allah is lying and the greatest regret is the regret (one experiences) on the day of judgment.

“…those who invent lies about God will not prosper. They may have a little enjoyment, but painful punishment awaits them.” (16: 116-117)

Lying is a grave sin in the eyes of Allah, in fact it is so grave that it is considered a trait of, and in fact foundation to hypocrisy.

The Relationship between Hypocrisy and Lying

Hypocrisy is built on lying, al Hassan said, “It used to be said that the foundation upon which hypocrisy is built is lying.” This is because the essence of hypocrisy is to lie. Lying is to state a thing even though the reality may be different and hypocrisy is to show one face, when in reality the situation is quite different.

Lying is one of the characteristics of hypocrisy, the Prophet (SAW) said, ” The signs of a hypocrite are three:

1. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie.

2. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it (his promise ).

3. If you trust him, he proves to be dishonest. (If you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it.)” (Bukhari)

Read the next Part 8 (a): Lying: Its types and causes