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Punishment of Lying

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by DarulIftaBirmingham

Punishment of lying, cheating and backbiting

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

Answer

Allah (SWA) says in the Holy Quran:

“It is only those who believe not in the ayah of Allah, who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who are liars.” (Surah Nahl v.105)

From this verse Allah (SWA) is saying that his Messenger Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam is not a fabricator or a liar, because only the most evil of people who do not believe in the signs of Allah are known amongst the people for telling lies about Allah and His Messenger Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir p.588 v.2)

Saaiduna Abu Hurairah Radiallahu Anhu narrates that the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam 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 betrays that trust.” (Sahih Bukhari p.10 v.1)

Saaiduna Abdullah Ibn Masood Radiallahu Anhu narrates that the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam said; “Truthfulness is righteousness and righteousness leads to paradise. A person will continue to tell the truth until he is written with Allah as one who tells the truth. Lying is evil’s doing and evil doing leads to hell. A person will keep on telling lies until he is written a liar.” (Sahih Bukhari)

It was narrated that Samurah ibn Jundub Radiallahu Anhu said: “The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam often used to say to his companions, ‘Has anyone among you seen a dream?’ Then whoever Allah willed would tell of his dream. One day he said to us, ‘Two (angels) came to me last night and woke me up, then they said to me, ‘Let’s go!’… So we set out and came to a man who was lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man’s mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the neck) and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man’s face and did just as he had done with the other side. Hardly had he completed this side when the first side was restored to its normal state. Then he went back and did that all over again. I said to my two companions, ‘Subhaan Allah! Who are these two persons?’ They said to me, ‘Move on, move on!’ (Then he said, describing how the two angels explained the things that he had seen): ‘As for the man you came across, the sides of whose mouth, nostrils and eyes were being torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world.’”  (Sahih Bukhari)

CHEATING

Cheating, trickery and deceit is strictly forbidden in Islam.

The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam has said; “Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us and whoever cheats us is not one of us.” (Sahih Muslim p.70 v.1)

Once the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam passed by a pile of food in the market. He put his hand inside it and felt dampness although the surface was dry. He Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam said;

“O owner of the food, what is this?” The Man side; “It was damaged by rain, O Prophet of Allah.” He said; “Why didn’t you put the rain damaged food on top so that people could see it! Whoever cheats us is not one of us.” (Sahih Muslim p.70 v.1)

Backbiting

Allah (SWA) in the Holy Quran says; “… Neither backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would abhor that…” (Surah Hujuraat v.12)

The Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam has said; “One of the biggest major sins is to stretch out one’s tongue without the right against the honour of a muslim.”  (Sunan Abi Dawud p.321 v.2)

Saaiduna Aaisha Radiallahu Anha narrates that she said to the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam: “It should tell you enough about Saffiyah that she is short.”  To this he replied, “You have said a word that if it was to be mixed with the water of the sea, it would contaminate it.”  (Sunan Abi Dawud p.320 v.2)

Kaab al-Ahbar said, “Backbiting nullifies a persons good deeds”.

Sufyan ibn Uyaynah said, “Backbiting is worse than a debt.  A debt can be paid out, but backbiting cannot”.

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

This answer was collected from DarulIftaBirmingham.co.uk, which is run under the supervision of Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah from the United Kingdom.