In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Allah (the Exalted) says in the Noble Quran about the basic qualities of a believer:
“O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is with Allâh that you say that which you do not do.” (Quran 61:2-3)
Allah’s Messenger (SAWS) was asked, “Can a believer be a miser?” He said, “Yes.” He was asked, “Can a believer be a coward?” He said, “Yes.” And he was asked, “And can a believer be a liar?” He said, “No.”
It has been related that a man went to Allah’s Messenger (SAWS) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, indeed I do three sins in secret: (I drink) alcohol, fornication and lying. So inform me which of them I should abandon.” He said, “Leave off lying.” The man went away, and later desired to fornicate, but he thought to himself, “I will go to the Messenger of Allah and he will ask me whether I fornicated? If I say yes, he will punish me. And if I say no, I will have broken the covenant and lied.” So he abstained from fornicating, and the same occurred regarding alcohol. He returned to Allah’s Messenger (SAWS) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, indeed I have abandoned all of them.”
My brother, do you not see then, that lying is the root of every wicked deed, and it leads to all other sins. You will not see anyone more miserable and wretched than the liar, and disbelief is the most severe kind of lying, for it is lying upon Allah (the Exalted).
