On Lying

Then the accursed devil went on to how he has profited from habits he has come to like in people. There was, it may be recalled, a recent film about the man who invented lying — its title escapes memory, and it need not detain anyone. But who was the first to lie? Do you know, O Muḥammad, he said, that lying comes from me, and that I am the first liar — whoever lies is my closest friend, and whoever swears to the truth of his lies is my beloved. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was once walking with one of his companions, who put it to him: a Muslim may be a coward, he may flee from battle, he may be this or that — but could a Muslim lie? The Messenger of Allah answered: no, it is impossible; a Muslim may be a sinner, he may be a worse person still, but a Muslim does not lie. Looking around at how few Muslims today fit that description of never lying — may Allah protect everyone — brings this home: go to Turkey, and there are people waiting at the courts for exactly this. Asked by a judge whether they have any witness, and having none, they say, "hold on, judge, hold on, let me find out if I have any witnesses" — and step outside, where professional witnesses wait. How much? Five hundred dollars. What do you want me to say to the judge? "I saw the car smash into your car." The false witness goes in and swears by the Qur'an that the man did it, giving evidence that is, in truth, nothing but a lie.

Do you know, O Muḥammad, Shayṭān continued, that I swore by Allah and lied to Adam and Eve? I swore to them both that I was a sincere adviser, that I wished them only good, and told them that if they ate from the forbidden tree they would remain in Jannah forever — khālidīna fīhā. They believed me, because in Jannah they had never before heard a lie. I am the one who told the first lie. I love, too, rejection and backbiting; they are my most delightful fruits, and I hate a loving family — if two people so much as think of separating, of divorce, even mentioning it once, the marriage bond is, in Allah's sight, already dissolved; the wife becomes unlawful to the husband; if they then sleep together they are adulterers, and any child born of it is illegitimate. I love all of that.