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Lesson: 22 One of the Signs of Hypocrisy is Lying
Yes, lying
is the aim of hypocrisy, because, truthfulness means harmony or likeness of
the tongue and the heart. A liar does not have this harmony. Hence hypocrisy
is nothing but is the contradiction between truth and falsehood.
In verse 77
of Surah Tawbah we read: So He made hypocrisy to follow as a consequence into
their hearts till the day when they shall meet Him because they failed to perform
towards Allah what they had promised with Him and because they told lies.
The Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.s.) said: There are four attributes. Anyone having them is a hypocrite.
If he has some of the four, he becomes a hypocrite in that proportion unless
he gives them up the vices are: A - lies while telling anything, B - When he
gives a promise, he breaks it, C - When he makes a treaty, breaches it and D
- When he indulges in enmity he resorts to oppression.
Now Look at
these Narrations:
1 - Imam Baqir
(a.s.) said: The Lord Almighty has kept locks for evil and wickedness and the
key those locks is wine because intoxicants drive away intelligence. Then he
added: Lying is worse than wine.
2 - Imam Hasan
Askari (a.s.) said: All dirty things are kept in a room and the key to that
room is lying.
3 - The Holy
Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Keep distance from lying as lying directs man toward
bad deeds and bad deeds lead man to Hell.
4 - Amirul
Mo-mineen (a.s.) is reported to have said: The biggest sin in the sight of God
is falsehood.
5 - The Holy
Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: One does not lie but because of the meanness of heart.
6 -Amirul Mo-mineen
(a.s.) said: Man does not get the taste of Faith until he gives up falsehood,
be it a joke or serious grave.
7 - In another
Hadith they asked the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): Can a Faithful man be timid?
He replied: Yes. He was asked again: Is it possible that once in a while he
may be a miser? He said: Yes. Then they inquired: Can he even be a liar? He
said: No.
8 -Amirul Mo-mineen
(a.s.) said: Refrain from befriending a lair as he is like a mirage which makes
the distant near for you and the near distant.
Facts that
we can derive from these narrations are: A - Falsehood is the source of all sins. B - falsehood or lying is not compatible with Faith. C - lying is the destroyer of peace of mind. D - Lying comes out of the meanness of the soul.
All kinds of
falsehood or lying are bad. But attributing falsehood to or lying about God
and His Prophet is the worst of all. Sometimes it happens when a man makes a
false claim of being a messenger of God or that he says something false about
God and His Prophet.
As Abi Baseer
says that he heard from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) who said: Lying nullifies fasting
Abu Baseer says I asked the Imam: We are destroyed. He said: No, the falsehood
which a fast null and void is that in which somebody says something false about
God, His Messenger and the Masoom Imams (a.s.).
Amirul Mo-mineen
(a.s.) while referring to a sermon of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) says: Anyone
who says something false about me intentionally will find his dwelling in Hell.
Then added: Those who narrate??? had the are of four groups and fifth will not
be found:
1 -Hypocrites:
The hypocrite put a mask on his face while making a statement. He neither is
afraid of sinning nor he refrains from it and he willfully attributes a lie
to the Messenger (a.s.). If people had known that a hypocrite is a liar they
would not accept anything from him and would not testify him but since they
are unaware of the fact they say: they are the companions of the Messenger (a.s.),
they have seen the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and have obtained knowledge from
him.
Due to this
reason they get influenced by the hypocrite while Allah has already cautioned,
as you should be cautioned, about the conditions of the hypocrites. He narrated
to you their attributes. After the passing away of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.)
the hypocrites earned nearness of the misled rulers and the callers toward hell
through falsehood lying and false allegations. The misguided rulers also granted
them governorships and imposed them on the masses and began to devour the world
through their means. Masses are mostly with the kings and the world except those
whom God protests.
2 - Those who
give false witness
God Almighty,
with regard to the believers, says: And they who do not bear witness to what
is false, and when they pass by what is vain, they pass by nobly.
The Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.s.) said: A testifier to falsehood is like one who worships idols.
3 - Those who
swear falsely
It is quoted
from Imam Sadiq (a.s.): One who swears falsely, while knowing that it is a lie,
has, verily declared a war against God.
Again it is
reported from the Imam Sadiq (a.s.): A false swearing empties a city of its
residents destroys townships.
Also Imam Sadiq
(a.s.) says: When a man says: God knows while he himself does not know and attributes
falsehood to God this sin makes the Throne of God tremble due to anger.
Also: One who
swears falsely is given a ten-day respite.
4 - Those who
break Promises
In this very
sense the Holy Quran says: O you who believe! Why do you may that which you
do not do?
It is most
hateful to Allah that you should say that which you do not do.
The Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.s.) said: One who believes in Allah and Hereafter should fulfill it when
he gives promise.
Now that we
have studied verses and narrations regarding lying let us here plan for remedying
this dangerous disease, which sprouts from hypocrisy, and we should know that
a liar has to bear personal, collective economical and spiritual losses. In
the words of Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.), Always tell the truth, because, God with
the true, and refrain from lying as it drives one away from Faith. One who tells
truth is on the garden seat of salvation and eminence and the liar stays on
the brink of precipice of degradation and destruction.
It is obvious
that a liar is soon disgraced. It is narrated from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.):
A liar has no character.
Isa (a.s.)
is reported to have said: One who tells more lies loses his prestige and value.
Disgrace always
remains in await for a liar, because, falsehood never remains hidden. It will
surely come out once one day. Even if a liar is very clever and he fathoms everything
all around him, his lie finally gets revealed and sometimes such a man becomes
so valueless that he loses the respect of even his family members.
A tongue which
does not like truthfulness, nobody in the world is prepared to buy believe it,
if you want your talk to get a rise, then never let it turn toward falsehood.
Disgrace in
this world life is not so important. What is more important is the disgrace
in the hereafter life after death. On the Day of Judgement, a foul smell will
emanate from his mouth. In the gathering of the Last Day too he will be dishonoured
in front of Prophets and saints and the Faithful. With all this emphasis on
being truthful and the prohibition of lying, it is permissible in certain circumstances.
As the abomination of the prohibited things is sometimes inborn and sometimes
accidental, and since prohibition of lying is of the second kind, it is because
of this that it has been recommended when there is no ill motive and is beneficial
to the society. For example, in war and jihad and in solving disputes or in
promises given to family members so as to enhance sincerity and cordiality.
There are narrations about it. Here is one:
It has been
quoted from Imam Sadiq (a.s.): Ever lie will gave to be accounted for in the
Day of Judgement except in three instances: a lie which is used as a war technique
of strategy, a lie which is resorted to make peace between two quarrelling persons
and a promise given to ones family.
The late Naraqi
writes in Jami al-Sadat: Though the narrations have mentioned these circumstances,
yet the matter must not be restricted to these only Rather whenever it becomes
necessary for removal of a harm or evil or corruption a harmless lie can be
resorted to. Therefore, if a man is asked about the offence of somebody, he
can say: I do not know, even if it is a lie or if an oppressor asks about the
property of a man or about a Faithful brother, it is permissible for him to
tell a lie to protect the property and person of a brother in Faith provided
his aim is right. As is mentioned, in such circumstance it lie will be considered
Mabaah an admissible thing an and will not be accountable.
Question: What
is Toriya?
Answer: Toriya
means a word which has two implications, one apparent and another hidden or
implied. It is when man intends to convey the first meaning whereas the other
person takes it to be other. Permissibility of Toriya is conditional. So the
intention must be good and well or when reason and religion prevents from giving
out the other information.
Does a lie
apply to an exaggeration or a metaphor?
Answer: If
figures of speech are used and the intention is exaggeration or metaphor or
a simile or a comparison there is no objection, however it is not to be very
much magnified, because, the aim is to give an understanding and not a claim
of a fact or an overall equality. Despite all this man must try not to say against
the truth even in permissible occasions so that his tongue gets habituated to
well only the truth. We must also remember that we are the followers of a leader
and an Imam who was not prepared to say even a single word against facts even
for getting his undeniable right when a consultative body was formed at the
order of Umar, so as to head the world of Islam.
O Lord! Make
all of us the true followers of that Imam (a.s.).
O Lord! Grant
us full Faith so that we may not be disgraced at the time of the test.
