Is Lying Allowed in Islam? Full Shariah Ruling & Exceptions
Question: What is the Shariah ruling regarding lying? Is it permissible to lie in jest (joking) or without causing anyone harm? And is the commonly stated view that lying is permissible in three situations correct? Furthermore, what are the limits and restrictions of lying with one’s wife?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah):
Lying is not only a major sin, but it is also a source of chaos and corruption in society. While lying becomes a means of sedition and disorder in society, speaking the truth leads to the reformation of society, and peace and justice are established. Therefore, the religion of Islam strictly forbids lying and emphatically commands speaking the truth.
Some Quranic Verses regarding avoiding lies and adhering to the truth
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
(I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan)
(In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سَدِيدًا-يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا
Translation:
O you who have believed, fear Allah and speak words of appropriate justice. He will [then] amend for you your deeds and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment.
(Surah Al-Ahzab, Verse 70-71)
Not only is there a command to speak straight and true words, but there is also a command to accompany truthful people.
As Allah Almighty says in one place in the Quran:
يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ وَكُوۡنُوۡا مَعَ الصّٰدِقِيۡنَ۞
Translation:
O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with those who are true.
(Surah At-Tawbah, Verse 119)
Just as Allah Almighty commanded speaking the truth and accompanying the truthful, He has also warned to avoid lying and to stay away from false and void deities.
فَاجْتَنِبُوا الرِّجْسَ مِنَ الْأَوْثَانِ وَاجْتَنِبُوا قَوْلَ الزُّورِ،
Translation:
So avoid the uncleanliness of idols and avoid false statement.
(Surah Al-Hajj, Verse 30)
In another place, Allah states that lying is not the trait of the believers.
اِنَّمَا يَفۡتَرِى الۡـكَذِبَ الَّذِيۡنَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِاٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِۚ وَاُولٰۤئِكَ هُمُ الۡكٰذِبُوۡنَ ۞
Translation:
They only invent falsehood who do not believe in the verses of Allah, and it is those who are the liars.
(Surah An-Nahl, Verse 105)
Lying means untruthfulness and misrepresentation. This is an extremely shameful attribute. The one in whom this evil trait—the habit of lying—is found is considered very bad in the sight of God and humans, and he is not trusted.
Allah Almighty said:
إِنَّ اللَّـهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ كَاذِبٌ كَفَّارٌ،
Translation:
Indeed, Allah does not guide one who is a liar and [confirmed] disbeliever.
(Surah Az-Zumar, Verse 3)
In the idiom of Islam, the harshest word is “La’nat” (Curse).
Curse means distance and deprivation from the mercy of Allah Almighty. In the Holy Quran, Satan is described as deserving of it, and subsequently, the Jews, disbelievers, and hypocrites are warned of it. However, no believer is remembered with a curse for any of his actions except for lying. In the case of lying and making false accusations, Allah Almighty has permitted that the curse of God be upon the one who is a liar.
As it was said on the occasion of Mubahala (mutual imprecation) that both parties should implore Allah Almighty and pray that the curse of God be upon the one among us who is a liar.
فَمَنۡ حَآجَّكَ فِيۡهِ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ الۡعِلۡمِ فَقُلۡ تَعَالَوۡا نَدۡعُ اَبۡنَآءَنَا وَاَبۡنَآءَكُمۡ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمۡ وَاَنۡفُسَنَا وَاَنۡفُسَكُمۡ ثُمَّ نَبۡتَهِلۡ فَنَجۡعَل لَّعۡنَتَ اللّٰهِ عَلَى الۡكٰذِبِيۡنَ ۞
Translation:
Then whoever argues with you about it after [this] knowledge has come to you - say, "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly [together] and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars [among us]."
(Surah Al ‘Imran, Verse 61)
Similarly, in the case of Li’an between husband and wife, when a husband accuses his wife of adultery and has no witness, he must swear to his truthfulness four times, and the fifth time he must say:
وَالۡخَـامِسَةُ اَنَّ لَـعۡنَتَ اللّٰهِ عَلَيۡهِ اِنۡ كَانَ مِنَ الۡكٰذِبِيۡنَ ۞
Translation:
And the fifth [oath will be] that the curse of Allah be upon him if he should be among the liars.
(Surah An-Nur, Verse 7)
From this, it is known that lying is such a great curse that the one who commits it deserves a curse like the disbelievers and hypocrites.1
The prohibition of lying and the instruction to speak the truth in the light of Ahadith3
Hadith No. 14
Abdullah bin Mas’ud (RA) narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Truthfulness leads5 to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person (Siddiq). Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fajur leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies until he is written before Allah, a liar.”
(Sahih Bukhari Hadith No. 6094)
In another Hadith, the wording is as follows:
Hadith No. 2
Narrated by Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-Aas (RA) that a man came to the Prophet (PBUH) and asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What is the deed that leads to Paradise?” He said, “Speaking the truth. When a servant speaks the truth, he does righteous deeds, and whoever does righteous deeds, he becomes full of faith, and whoever is full of faith enters Paradise.” He then asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What is the deed that leads to Hell?” He said, “Lying. When a servant lies, he commits sin, and when he commits sin, he commits Kufr (disbelief), and whoever commits Kufr goes to Hell.”
(Musnad Ahmad | Musnad Abdullah bin Amr, 6641)
(Al-Suyuti Al-Jami Al-Saghir 5599) Hasan (Shuaib Al-Arna’ut Takhrij Al-Musnad 6641 • Sahih li-ghayrihi)
From these Ahadith, it is known that the evil of lying is so vast that Kufr (disbelief) is also included in it, than which there is nothing worse, and for which no door of salvation is open. The circle of Allah Almighty’s mercy is very vast, encompassing every particle of the world. The entire universe rests in the shade of His mercy, but outside this dense shade of Divine Mercy is the one whose face is scorched by the hot wind of lying.
Lying is a sign of a hypocrite
Hadith No. 3
Abu Huraira (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “The signs of a hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie; whenever he promises, he breaks his promise; and whenever he is entrusted, he betrays (proves to be dishonest).”
(Sahih Bukhari Hadith No. 6095)
Guarantee of a house in Paradise for the one who avoids lying even in jest
Hadith No. 4
Abu Umamah (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a man who avoids quarrelling even if he were in the right, a house in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying even if he were joking, and a house in the upper part of Paradise for a man who made his character good.”
(Sunan Abu Dawood Hadith No. 4800)89
Hasan Al-Albani1011
Hadith12 No. 513
Abu Huraira (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “A man speaks a word (in jest etc.) seeing no harm in it, while because of it he falls into the Hellfire for seventy years.”1415
(Sunan Tirmidhi Hadith No. 2314)1617
Meaning, a person says something causing Allah’s displeasu18re or a f19abricated and false statement to make others laugh and for their interest, and sees no harm in saying it, thinking it is neither sinful nor deserving of punishment, whereas because of this statement, he becomes deserving of the punishment of Hell. It is known that one should not say any laughable thing to make others laugh or happy that constitutes a sin and causes punishment.
Destruction and a pit in Hell for the one who lies in jest
Hadith No. 6
Mu’awiyah bin Haidah Al-Qushayri (RA) says I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying: “Woe to him who tells lies to make people laugh thereby. Woe to him, woe to him.”
(Sunan Abu Dawood Hadith No. 4990)
(Sunan Tirmidhi Hadith No. 2315)
(Sunan Darimi Hadith No. 2744)
In another Hadith it is stated:
Hadith No. 7
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
“A servant does not become a complete believer until he abandons lying in jest and abandons arguing even if he is truthful.”
(Musnad Ahmad Hadith No. 8630)
(Al-Albani Sahih At-Targhib 2939 • Sahih li-ghayrihi)
Meaning, lying and useless arguing are bad in every case. It causes perfect faith to depart.
There are many levels of lying. The state of even good people is such that they do not consider lying without necessity to be bad. For example, people are often seen making false promises to children to amuse them, thinking they will forget these promises in a short while. And this often happens, but a lie is a lie nonetheless. Islam has not permitted this lie either.
Hadith No. 8
A companion, Abdullah bin Amir (RA), says that one day my mother called me while the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was sitting in our house. She said: “Listen, come here, I will give you something.” The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to her: “What did you intend to give him?” She said, “I will give him a date.” The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said to her: “Listen, if you were not to give him anything, a lie would be written against you.”
(Sunan Abu Dawood Hadith No. 4991)
(Musnad Ahmad 3/447) (Hadith Hasan)
Thinking ill of others (suspicion) is also included in lying
Hadith No. 9
Abu Huraira (RA) says that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales; and do not look for the others’ faults and do not spy.”
(Sahih Bukhari Hadith No. 5133, 6066)
Hadith No. 10
Abdullah bin Mas’ud (RA) used to say that a servant keeps on lying until a black dot appears on his heart, and then due to lying, his entire heart becomes black, and he is written as a liar in the sight of Allah.
(Muwatta Malik | Book: The Compendium | Chapter: What came regarding Truthfulness and Lying, Hadith 2831)
For the benefit of the readers, we mention here a few of those famous Ahadith regarding lying which are weak in terms of chain of narration (Sanad)
Such a bad smell emits from the mouth of a liar that the angels flee far away from him
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
“When a man lies, the angels move a mile away from him because of the bad smell that is generated by lying.”
(Sunan Tirmidhi Hadith No. 1972
Weak23
Al-Albani (1420 AH), Al-Silsilah Al-Da’ifah 1828 • Mu24nkar
Al-Albani (1420 AH), Da’if At-Targhib 1758 • Very Weak
Lying also causes a lack of blessings in provision (Rizq)
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
“Kindness to parents increases life, and lying decreases provision, and supplication (Dua) averts destiny.”
(Narrated by Al-Asbahani)
Weak
Al-Albani (1420 AH), Al-Silsilah Al-Da’ifah 1429 • Fabricated (Mawdu’)
A believer can never lie and whoever is a believer will not lie
It was asked of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH):
یَا رَسُوْلَ اللہِ! اَیَکُوْنُ الْمُؤْمِنُ جَبَانًا؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قِیْلَ لَہٗ اَیَکُوْنُ الْمُؤْمِنُ بَخِیْلًا؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ، قِیْلَ لَہٗ اَیَکُوْنُ الْمُؤْمِنُ کَذَّابًا؟ قَالَ لَا،
“O Messenger of Allah! Can a believer be a coward?” He said: “Yes.” It was asked: “Can a believer be stingy?” He said: “Yes.” It was asked: “Can a believer be a liar?” He said: “No.”
(Muwatta Imam Malik)
Weak
(Al-Albani (1420 AH), Da’if At-Targhib 1752 • Mursal, Weak)
It is known that Faith (Iman) and Lying are contradictory things. It is impossible for both to gather in one place, just as Kufr (disbelief) and Iman cannot gather in one place. Although this narration is weak, it is supported by the Hadith that:
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
لَا یَجْتَمِعُ الْکُفْرُ وَالْاِیْمَانُ فِیْ قَلْبِ امْرَأٍ وَلَا یَجْتَمِعُ الصِّدْقُ وَالْکِذْبُ جَمِیْعًا وَلَا تَجْتَمِعُ الْخِیَانَۃُ وَالْاَمَانَۃُ جَمِیْعًا،
Meaning: Kufr and Iman cannot gather together in the heart of a person; if there is Kufr, there is no Iman, and if there is Iman, there is no Kufr. And truth and lying cannot gather together, nor can treachery and trustworthiness gather together.
(Musnad Ahmad Hadith No. 8593)
(Al-Albani (1420 AH), Al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah 1050 • Its chain is Sahih, its men are trustworthy)
From all the verses and Ahadith mentioned above, it is understood that lying is among the major sins, and it is not permissible for any person to lie even in jest, to the extent that even a mother should not lie to her child, because there are severe punishments for the liar on the Day of Resurrection.
As stated in the Hadith of Isra and Mi’raj, the Prophet (PBUH) said: I saw the liar having his jaws torn apart.
Observe the Hadith:
The Prophet (PBUH) said regarding the vision he was shown of the upper world: “I saw (in a dream) two men came to me… and said, ‘The one whom you saw having his mouth torn apart (is a liar). He is the symbol of the man who tells lies, and the lies are reported from him and spread far and wide. So he is punished like that till the Day of Resurrection.'”
(Sahih Bukhari Hadith No. 1386)
Yes, however, there are three situations where the intention is to establish love and affection between people or to cast awe into the heart of the enemy; in these cases, permission (Rukhsah) to lie has been given, as described in the following Ahadith:
Asma bint Yazid (RA) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
“Lying is not lawful except in three cases: a man speaking to his wife to please her, lying in war, and lying to reconcile between people.”
(Sunan Tirmidhi Hadith No. 1939)
(Sunan Abu Dawood Hadith No. 4921)
(Allama Al-Albani (Rahimahullah) has declared it Sahih in Sahih Tirmidhi).
In Sahih Muslim, narrated by Umm Kulthum bint Uqbah bin Abi Mu’ayt (RA), she heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying:
“He is not a liar who reconciles between people and says good things or conveys good things.”
(Sahih Muslim Hadith No. 2605)
Ibn Shihab (Rahimahullah) says:
“I did not hear that exemption was granted in anything what the people speak as lie but in three cases: in battle, for bringing reconciliation amongst persons, and the narration of the words of the husband to his wife, and the narration of the words of a wife to her husband.”
And the purpose of husband and wife lying to each other is: to create mutual love, affection, and lasting familiarity so that the structure of the family does not scatter.
For example, the husband says to his wife: “You are very precious to me.”
Or says: “No one is dearer to me than you.”
Or says: “To me, you are the most beautiful of all women,” and words like these.
This does not refer to the lie that causes the usurping of rights or causes one to flee from duties and obligations.
Imam Baghawi (Rahimahullah) says:
“Abu Sulaiman Khattabi (Rahimahullah) says: In these matters, sometimes a person needs to say more, and to achieve safety and remove harm/loss, one has to exceed the truth.
In some situations, a small and minor corruption is permitted because there is hope for reform through it.
Thus, lying to reconcile between two people:
Meaning, saying good words on behalf of one person in front of another, and conveying good things to him is permissible, even if he did not hear that thing from that person nor did he say it; through this, he wants to bring about reform between the two.
And lying in war is:
That he shows strength and power from his side, and speaks such things that his companions and soldiers become strong, and he plans against his enemy.
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
الحرب خدعۃ “War is deceit.”
(See: Sharh As-Sunnah 13/119)
And the husband lying to his wife is that he makes a promise to the wife and gives her hope, and expresses more love than what is in his heart so that their life may pass correctly, and in this way, he can also reform the wife’s character.
Sufyan bin Uyainah (Rahimahullah) says:
If a person apologized to another person and to please him, he changed his speech and presented good speech, he will not be called a liar because it is in the Hadith:
“The one who reconciles between people is not a liar.”
He says: Thus, the rectification between that other person is superior to reconciling between other people.
It is stated that in the time of Umar (RA), a man said to his wife:
“I ask you by Allah, do you love me?”
The wife replied:
“Since you ask me by Allah, my answer is that I do not love you.”
So that man came to Umar (RA) and narrated the incident. Umar (RA) called his wife and asked:
“Do you tell your husband that I do not love you?”
The woman replied:
“O Commander of the Faithful, he asked me by Allah, so should I have lied?”
Umar (RA) said:
“Yes, you should have lied, for not all homes are built on love, but people live together based on Islam and Ihsan (good lineage/conduct).” Ended.
In the explanation of Sahih Muslim, Imam Nawawi (Rahimahullah) says:
“As for the husband lying to his wife and the wife lying to her husband, it refers to the expression of love and promising what is not binding.
But deceiving in not fulfilling the rights of the wife or husband that are upon one, or usurping the right of the husband or wife, is Haram by consensus.”
(And Allah knows best – Ended)
And in Fath al-Bari, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (Rahimahullah) writes:
“There is agreement that lying in favor of the husband and wife means that through it, no right is dropped nor is anyone else’s right usurped.” Ended.
And Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen (Rahimahullah) says:
“Similarly, the husband speaking to his wife and the wife speaking to her husband in a way that creates love, affection, and friendship is among the Maslahah (interest/benefit). For example, he says to the wife:2526
‘You are very precious to me27, and you are the most beloved to me of all women,’ 28even if he is lying in this, but it is for creating love, affection, and lasting familiarity, and the Maslahah also demands this.” Ended.
(See more: Sharh Riyadh as-Salihin 1/1790)
May Allah Almighty grant us the ability to speak the truth and protect us from lying, and grant us the ability to understand the religion of Islam in its true sense and act upon it. Ameen, O Lord of the Worlds.
( And Allah Almighty knows best what is correct )
Reference: https://alfurqan.info/problems/1253
