212. Tell Them Daddy’s Not Home

By Asma Bint Shameem

"So you see, my son," said Hamza's father as he finished reading the storybook, "A Muslim never lies and he always tells the truth. That's what Islaam teaches us."

Just then, the telephone bell rang sharply in the house. As little Hamza ran to answer it, his father called out, "If it is for me, tell them Daddy’s not home!!"

Subhaan Allaah!

What a contradiction between what he just SAID and what he DID!

This is just one of the scenarios in our everyday lives. 

We claim to be Muslims and unhesitatingly say that we are proud to follow it, but when it comes to putting our words into actions, unfortunately, we are far from it. 

We teach our children one thing but we do another. 

We preach piety but we ourselves don't practice it.

We LIE in our everyday lives and in our dealings with everyone yet we are totally unaware of it. 

There are many of us who pray and fast, and go through all the ‘rituals’ and even criticize others who don’t. 

But our practical lives are full of all forms of lying, fraud and dishonesty, when we deal with others day in and day out.

And lying doesn't just mean outrightly telling untruths to someone on their face. 

Lying includes all kinds of 'little white lies', deceit, deceptions and forgery. 

So, telling your kid to say "Daddy's not home' when, in fact you are right there, is absolutely, definitely a form of lying.

And not fulfilling your promises deliberately, although you had the power to do so, is a form of lying. 

And cheating in the exams is a form of lying.

Exaggerating in any form or shape is considered lying. 

Hiding, omitting or deleting certain 'things' or events when someone asks you to tell the truth, is exactly the same as lying about it. 

Just because you 'omitted' certain things does not mean you told the truth. 

Your friend marking you 'present' in class, although you were absent, is another form of lying.

Faking a 'doctor's note' when in reality, you were not sick, you just overslept or were too lazy to go to work or school is also lying.

Telling the cop that your wife is having surgery or your kid is sick, (or whatever else excuses one can think of) when he pulls you over for speeding is also lying.

Dishonesty in your business dealings as well as in your interaction with others is lying.

Giving false witness is one of the gravest forms of lying.

Making a false claim that your injury happened at work, although it didn't, so that you could get compensation is lying.

Pretending to be of low income and applying for government aid, although you are NOT in need of it, is another form of lying and deception.

And hiding your income so you can evade taxes is lying.

Forging or altering university certificates to get a job or visa, is also just plain and simple, lying and fraud.

Paper marriages to get a green card, altering a bill to 'save' some money or for insurance purposes or some other kind of personal gain is also trickery and deceit. 

And the list goes on and on.......

We forget that Ibaadah doesn't mean just PRAYING and FASTING.

TRUE Ibaadah includes our 'Mu'amalaat', how we deal with others, Muslims as well as non-Muslims, our manners and our behavior. 

We forget that lying is one of the MAJOR SINS.

 The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said:

"Shall I not tell you of the greatest of major sins?" 

They said: Yes, O Messenger of Allaah. 

He said: "Association of others with Allaah,  disobedience towards one's parents" - and he was reclining, but he SAT UP and said: "And FALSE SPEECH and FALSE WITNESS." 

(al-Bukhaari, 5631; Muslim, 87)

Subhaan Allaah!

One of the greatest of major sins! 

We forget that lying is one of the signs of the HYPOCRITES.

 The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: 

"The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he is entrusted with something he breaks that trust." (al-Bukhaari, Muslim) 

We also forget that any apparent 'gain' that we get from all these forms of lying is not actually any gain at all.

Actually, any money that we earn or save is all haraam because we didn't earn it lawfully. 

And it is one of the reasons why duaa is rejected by Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'ala.

Remember the Hadeeth of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam):

"Then he (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) mentioned a man who had been traveling for a long time and was disheveled and dusty; he stretches out his hands towards the heavens and says, 'O Lord, O Lord', but his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, his clothing is haraam. He is nourished by haraam, so how can his du'aa' be accepted?" (Muslim)

And one of the biggest harms of lying is that it is the KEY to the door of HELLFIRE!

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: 

"Beware of telling lies, for lying leads to immorality and immorality leads to Hellfire. A man will keep telling lies and striving to tell lies until he is recorded with Allaah as a liar." (Muslim)

Aa'ishah (Radhi Allaahu anha) said:

"No characteristic was more hateful to the Messenger of Allah (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) than LYING. 

If a man told a lie in the presence of the Prophet ()Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) he would continue to feel some unrest in his heart until he knew that the man had repented." (saheeh by al-Albaani) 

 We are not supposed to lie even if we are joking!

The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: 

"Woe be on one who speaks and lies in order to make people laugh, woe to him, woe to him." (at-Tirmidhi--hasan by al-Albaani) 

Subhaan Allaah! 

Even in joke! 

And yet, how many times do we say things and do things which may fall in this category and we say, "It's fine. We are only joking!"

If we give up all sorts of lying, even the lying in 'fun' and 'jokes', the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) guarantees, yes GUARANTEES us JANNAH. 

He said:

"I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a house in the middle of Jannah for one who abandons lying even when joking / for the sake of fun; 

and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one who has good manners." (Abu Dawood--Saheeh)

Abu Bakr (Radhi Allah anhu) said: 

"O people, beware of lying, for lying is contrary to faith" (Ahmed--saheeh by al-Albaani)

And Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqaas (Radhi Allaahu anhu) said:

"The Muslim could develop all sorts of characteristics EXCEPT TREACHERY and LYING". 

Situations when 'lying' is allowed:

We as Muslims can never lie unless under very specific situations such as:

- when we want to reconcile among people, 

- during war and 

- when a husband or wife want to please each other.

 Umm Kalthoom (Radhi Allah anha) said that the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) said: 

"He is not a liar who reconciles between people, conveying good messages and saying good things." 

She said: I did not hear him grant any concession concerning anything that the people say of lies except in three cases: reconciling between people, war, and what a man says to his wife, or a woman says to her husband. (Muslim)

Conclusion

We as Muslims, must learn to RECOGNIZE the different forms of lying as we come across them. 

We must realize what being truthful REALLY means. 

It means *speaking the truth and saying and doing things that reflect reality*. 

We have to remember the gravity of sin involved in lying and strive to the best of our ability to tell the truth under ALL circumstances, *no matter what the outcome.*  

If you fear Allaah, He will find ways out of all difficulties for you and provide for you from means you never even imagined.

 Allaah says:

"And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). 

And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will suffice him. 

Verily, Allaah will accomplish his purpose. 

Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things." (Surah Talaaq:2-3) 

Isn't the above ayah enough reminder for us?

O my Muslim brother and sister out there...

'LEAVE that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt, for truthfulness is certainty and tranquillity, whilst LYING is DOUBT and CONFUSION." (Saheeh- al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa'i, and Ahmad)

*"O you who believe! Be afraid of Allaah, and be with those who are TRUE (in word and deeds)." [al-Tawbah:119]*

May Allaah enable us to always 
SPEAK the TRUTH, 

STAND UP for the TRUTH 

LIVE for the TRUTH and
 DIE for the TRUTH. 

Ameen 

And Allaah knows best