So bad, yet so common

To be truthful in words and actions is a basic qualification for one to be called a Muslim. To be untruthful is to be a liar. One sinful act which the religion of Islam so much abhors but has today become so common as if it were a thing of pride is the unholy act […]

To be truthful in words and actions is a basic qualification for one to be called a Muslim. To be untruthful is to be a liar. One sinful act which the religion of Islam so much abhors but has today become so common as if it were a thing of pride is the unholy act of telling lies. Imam Bukhari and Muslims both narrate that the Prophet (SAW) said “lying is one of the three signs of a hypocrite.” Lying involves speaking falsely or uttering that which is actually not true. A lie is a false statement made with a deliberate intent to deceive. Any expression intended to convey false impression ordinarily amounts to a lie. Telling lies is an implicit denial of Allah’s attribute of hearing without ears and of seeing without eyes.
The act of telling lies could come in various forms. While some people lie against God, others lie against fellow human beings or against themselves. Those who lie against God are those who sell the faith they owe to God for a small price. Such people as mentioned in Qur’an 3:78 distort the word of God with their tongues; giving the impression that what they are reciting is a part of the holy Book while it is certainly not. Nothing can be more reprehensible in Islam than one fabricating falsehood in the name of religion. Allah (SWT) states in Qur’an 16:116 that “those who ascribe false things to Allah and the Prophet will never prosper.” Today, some of those who ‘manipulate’ religion to survive prohibit that which Islam has clearly made lawful just as they permit that which Islam has categorically prohibited. The Prophet (SAW) said “Let whoever tells a lie against me take his place in Hell fire.”
Some people lie against fellow creatures to shift responsibilities or blame. Such people lie either to implicate others or vindicate themselves. Others lie to impress their listeners, or earn specific favours, or for other selfish ends that may include acquiring that which is not legitimately theirs. People sometimes resort to telling lies out of fear of the punishment for the wrong they have done either to others or to a constituted authority.
Some people also tell lies for fear of what others would think or say of them if they found out the realities about them. What this group of people forgets to understand is that each time they tell a lie against themselves, their fears grow stronger. While some people also tell lies in buying and selling, others do so to create fun. Age falsification, certificate forgery, talking about a vision or dream that one never saw, and other forms of false claims are some modes of lies against self. Lying for whatever reason and in whichever form is forbidden (haram) in Islam. It is worse when a person lies under oath.
Lying is an evil that conflicts with human nature. Like diseases, telling lies has its peculiar signs or symptoms that create psychological discords between various parts of the human brain; causing the liar to be easily noticed. When one is telling a lie, you can notice his facial muscles twitching; his eyes blinking more frequently; his heart beating faster than normal; and/or his right wrist washing the left. Other unconsciously made movements that are noticeable when an individual is lying may include rubbing the ear; scratching the head; and avoiding eye-to-eye contact with the person an individual is lying to.
Lying is a great sin in Islam. It is, yet, so common without regard to age, gender or status. It is common probably because, unlike other indulgences, a liar does not incur any (serious) expenses to tell a lie. Most people find it easier to lie when speaking on the phone or writing a letter. The advent of mobile phones has made lying in contemporary times more convenient than ever imagined. Many among today’s husbands, wives, traders, the rich, the poor, pupils, teachers, lawyers, drivers, tailors, carpenters, mechanics, adults, children, leaders, and even the clerics are guilty of this dishonest and deceptive act.
An irresponsible husband who returns late would call his wife by phone to give reasons that are almost impossible to be ascertained. Long fuel queues, traffic gridlock, board meetings, and vehicle breakdown are some of the excuses common on the lips of men who return home late. Mobile phone, for example, is making it convenient for liars to tell their spouses that they are in Abuja when in reality they are in Kaduna or Lagos. Muslims, especially politicians many of whom consider lying as part of politics or an obligation on public office holders, should know that acts of lying will not go unpunished on the Day of Judgment as every soul shall account for every word it uttered.
The act of lying causes stress to the liar as he comes under psychological pressure from within and outside of his body. If you are truthful, there isn’t any cause for you to remember what you previously said on a particular matter. But if you are a liar, it is an added burden to always remember your previous comments for fear of contradictions, which is another strong reason that will all the time compel you to invent 20 more lies to preserve an earlier one. 
If lying goes unchecked in an individual’s early life, it could progress to become a habit. When a person is known to be a serial liar, it denies him the privilege of enjoying the benefits of doubt even when his life is at stake. A man who enjoyed making others to laugh once shouted wolf where there was none. But when people came to rescue him, he appeared from a nearby bush and began to laugh. He repeated this on two other occasions. After sometime, a real wolf attacked him but no one came to his rescue because he had lied on three previous occasions.
Though a valuable natural gift, the tongue is the most delicate part of the human body. In spite of its smallness in size, it performs a fundamental task when it comes to belief and disbelief. May Allah (SWT) guide us to speak the truth at any time we must talk, amin.