The Sunday Mail
Umari Stambuli
LYING is the source of all evils. It is the utterance of that which is contrary to reality and in a sense this is literally the negation of faith! A true believer will never be able to bring himself or herself to tell a lie. In other words, the quality or habit of lying can never exist in a person who has true faith in Allah Almighty. It is something that is universally condemned by all humans with a minimally sound nature. But because it is so universally condemned, we have prettier names for it: It is often mitigated and excused as “forgetting,” “stretching the truth a bit,” “interpretation,” “miscommunication,” and so forth. Lying comes in many forms, and all of them are common even amongst believers: gossip, slander, misrepresentation, breaking of promises, and most of all, making deliberately misleading and vague statements.
False statements and promises
If you say, “I will be there around six,” and you do not intend to get there until seven, you have lied. If you say to someone who is waiting, “I will be right there,” while you know you are running one hour late, you have lied. If you say to your child, “I will get you some ice-cream if you do this” while you did not mean to do so, you have lied. Similarly when you say things which are not true, just to impress others or to save yourself from embarrassment, you have lied.
Obviously, one now gets the idea! These are all “innocent”, “little”, “white” lies, but they are lies nonetheless. There are millions of ways to try to make yourself feel that you have not lied, but deep down, you know that you are misrepresenting the truth. It thus follows that if you really feel that way, deep down within yourself, it is very likely that you have lied. And liars cannot be True Believers. That is a contradiction in terms.
The source of all evils
Lying is the source of all evils because those who often lie actually believe that they can get away with any misdeed by crafting suitable lies. Thus they begin to belittle any and every wrong and they go on to commit numerous other sins or crimes with ease and impunity.
For those who become desensitised to lying, the act brings excitement and pleasure. A psychologist writes, “The liar may feel excitement, either when anticipating the challenge or during the very moment of lying. Afterwards, if he or she “gets away” with the lie – there is the false pleasure that comes with the show of outward relief, pride in the achievement, or feelings of smug contempt towards the target.” This is most destructive for one’s general and social well-being.
This observation is captured in the teaching of the most truthful teacher, the Last and final Messenger of Allah Almighty, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), “Verily, truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to the Paradise. A person speaks truths until he is recorded by Allah Almighty as a most truthful person. Whereas, lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the Hell-Fire. A person lies until he is recorded by Allah Almighty as an incessant liar.”
The cycle of lying
Lying perpetuates itself. Those who have perfected the art of lying do not continue to tell simple lies that can be proved to be false. They move further or rather deeper in the game and become hard core liars! The worst thing about lying is that hard-core liars never admit that they are lying. In most cases, no matter how hard you try, a well-oiled liar can get out of even the most conclusive situation where it had been proved that they had lied. In fact, their inner conscience may at times become so clouded by their lies that they do not even notice that they are lying – yet they go on spinning falsehoods by way of habit.
Effect from early age
We learn the power of lying as children. Children tell innocent lies. By looking at how their parents, teachers and peers allow, sanction and approve of those lies, their habit of lying grows and matures. In any case, any lie in any given social context needs more lies. As one author puts it, a lie “must be thatched through with another or it will rain through.”
The Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) said, “Truthfulness is tranquility, and lying (falsehood) is restlessness.” When you have spoken the truth you will feel a sense of peace and calm because there can be nothing contrary to it – it is the reality and no matter how much anyone investigates, they will not find anything else!
And when you have spoken a lie you will feel a sense of restlessness because you know that the truth is contrary to this – this is not the reality and you are now constantly in fear of being exposed! ln the process you begin to think of further lies! The question is: “For how long will you continue fooling yourself and the others?”
For further information on Islam or a free copy of the Holy Qur’aan, please contact:
Majlisul Ulama Zimbabwe, Council of Islamic Scholars
Publications Department
P.O. Box W93, Waterfalls, Harare
Tel: 04-614078 / 614004, Fax : 04-614003
e-mail: [email protected].
