Friday Sermon: Fighting Lies and Mischief, and the Importance of Truth

In the name of Allah, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.

Dear brothers and sisters! Fear Allah by following His commandments and avoiding what He has forbidden. Fear of Allah is the key to all good. Disobeying Him leads to all sorts of evil. Remember, your standing with Allah depends on your faith and actions. Your worth before Allah and others comes from your faith and good deeds, not from your wealth or power. Allah the Almighty says:

“And it is not your wealth, nor your children that bring you nearer to Us, but only he who believes and does righteous deeds; as for such, there will be a double reward for what they did, and they will reside in the high dwellings (Paradise/Jannah) in peace and security.” [Qur’an, 34: 37]

Good deeds have greater rewards, just as good character is more rewarding based on how helpful it is to others. Likewise, evil deeds bring greater punishment depending on the harm they cause. Allah the Most High says:

“And for all these, there will be degrees according to that which they did, that He may recompense them in full for their deeds. And they will not be wronged.” [Qur’an, 46:19]

Truthfulness is a noble quality that only those with good hearts possess. Allah commands this in His Book:

“O you who believe, be afraid of Allah and be with those who are true (in words and deeds).” [Qur’an, 9:19]

Being truthful shows a person's good upbringing and character, while lying shows a dirty mind and bad behavior. Truth saves, while lying destroys. Truth is naturally appealing. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) emphasized truthfulness:

“Be truthful for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. If a man tells the truth and nothing but the truth, he will be registered with Allah as the truthful one. Beware of lying, for lying leads to sinfulness, and sinfulness leads to Hell. If a man tells a lie and nothing but a lie, he will be registered with Allah as a liar.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Allah promises great rewards for truthfulness in this life and the next. In this world, the truthful earn a good name and the love of Allah and His creatures. Their words gain respect, and people feel safe from their evil deeds. They will also experience peace of mind without fear or worries. Hasan Ibn Ali narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) say:

“Leave what is ambiguous to you and take what you are sure of. Truthfulness is tranquillity while lying is ambiguity.” [At-Tirmidhi]

The end for the truthful is always good, as shown in the Hadith of Ka’ab Ibn Malik when he missed the Battle at Tabuk. He said:

“I told the Prophet, ‘O Messenger of Allah, if I were in front of anyone else, I would have made excuses to escape his wrath. But, by Allah, I know that if I lie to please you, Allah might make you angry with me; and if I tell you the truth and you become angry with me, I hope that Allah will commend me for my truthfulness.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

In the hereafter, the reward for truthfulness is Allah’s pleasure and a high rank in Paradise (Jannah) where there are pleasures beyond imagination. Allah the Almighty says:

“Allah will say: This is a day on which the truthful will profit from their truth; theirs are gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise/Jannah), they shall abide therein forever. Allah is pleased with them and they with Him. That is great success.” [Qur’an, 5: 119]

Respected brothers and sisters! What is this truthfulness that Allah promises great rewards for? Truthfulness means being sincere in words and actions. It means sharing Allah’s Word and that of His Prophet, encouraging truthfulness, and forbidding falsehood. Allah the Most High says:

“And he who has brought the truth and believes therein, those are the pious and righteous ones.” [Qur’an, 39:33]

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“The true believer is the one who speaks the truth and believes when informed.”

Truthfulness in actions means worshipping Allah with sincere intention, honesty, love, and certainty. It also means relating with sincerity, compassion, and honesty. Allah the Most High says:

“It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards east or west in prayer; righteousness is the quality of the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Book, the Prophet, and gives wealth in spite of love for it to the kinsfolk, to the orphans and to the poor, and to the wayfarer, to those who ask and to set slaves free, performs As-Salat and gives Zakat, and fulfills their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment and at the time of fighting during battles. Such are the people of the truth, and they are the pious.” [Qur’an, 2:177]

Moreover, the foundation of Iman (faith) is truthfulness and belief. We can say that truthfulness exists in both words and actions. Our righteous predecessors (Salafus-Salih) were the most truthful in their dealings with Allah and people. Ka’ab Ibn Malik said:

“I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Allah saved me through truthfulness, and I vow to never lie again.’ I swear by Allah that I have not intentionally lied since that day, and I hope Allah will keep me from lying for the rest of my life.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Allah described the early immigrants to Madinah as truthful when He said:

“And for the poor emigrants, who were expelled from their homes and their properties, seeking bounties from Allah and to please Him and helping Allah (i.e. helping His religion) and His Messenger. Such are indeed the truthful.” [Qur’an, 59:8]

Dear servants of Allah! Fear Allah, obey Him, and seek to please Him. Fellow Muslims! Truth is a conduct that Allah and His Messenger love. It is a character that wise people recognize. The Prophet of mercy called for it alongside the worship of Allah at the start of his mission. Abu Sufyan narrated that the Roman Emperor Heracleus asked him about the Messenger of Allah, ‘What does he command you to do?’ He replied, ‘He says: Worship Allah alone and associate nothing with Him, avoid what your forefathers said. He also commanded us to pray, give charity, remain chaste, and be kind to our relatives.’ [Al-Bukhari]

Allah the Almighty says:

“Verily the Muslim men and women, the believing men and women, the men and women who are truthful in their speech and deeds, the men and women who are patient, the men and women who are humble before their Lord, the men and women who give charity, the men and women who observe fasting, the men and women who guard their chastity, and the men and women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise).” [Qur’an, 33:35]

Therefore, strive to be among the truthful in your words and actions, as truthfulness is a key to Paradise. Truthfulness does not bring early death nor does it prevent wealth or one’s interests.

Dear brothers and sisters! To be truthful, avoid treachery and deceit. The worst kind of lying is lying about Allah. One of the gravest lies is attributing things to Islam that it does not support, like terrorism or aggression. Islam is a religion of peace, mercy, and compassion. Allah the Most High says:

“We have not sent you (O Muhammad) but as a mercy to mankind.”

Islam promotes justice and kindness. Allah the Almighty says:

“Verily, Allah enjoins justice, kindness, helping relatives, and forbids all evil deeds, all that is prohibited by Islamic law, and all kinds of oppression.” [Qur’an, 16:90]

Islam is a religion of trust and sincerity. Allah the Most High says:

“Verily, Allah commands you to return trusts to those they are due and when you judge between men, judge with justice.” [Qur’an, 4:58]

Sadly, Islam suffers from those who spread lies and attribute them to the religion. Today, terrorism, aggression, and vandalism are wrongly linked to Islam. Yet Islam’s pure teachings oppose aggression, injustice, and mischief against innocent people, whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. Allah the Most High says:

“And transgress not the limits. Truly, Allah does not like the transgressors.” [Qur’an, 2:190]

Islam is the true religion that encourages all that is good and forbids all that is evil and harmful to mankind.

Dear servants of Allah! Honesty and clarity are the basis of a strong community. When lying and mischief-making are allowed to thrive, they destroy public trust and social unity. Tackling these behaviors needs moral education, social accountability, and strong protections.

Islamic teachings strongly oppose deception, fraud, and manipulation. The Qur’an and Hadith consider honesty a core part of faith. They view lying and mischief as major sins that harm society.

In Islam, truthfulness is not just a good quality but essential for faith. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) connected lying to a lack of true faith, saying:

“The signs of a hypocrite are three: whenever he speaks, he tells a lie; whenever he promises, he breaks his promise; and whenever he is trusted, he proves treacherous.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

Lying is seen as a slippery slope to corruption. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Avoid falsehood, for falsehood leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Hellfire.” [Sahih Muslim]

When asked if a Muslim could be a coward or a miser, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said yes. But when asked:

“Can a Muslim be a liar?” he replied, “No.” [Al-Muwatta of Imam Malik]

Islam punishes actions that disrupt social harmony, especially gossip, slander, and causing conflict. The Qur’an warns against spreading disorder on Earth. Allah the Most High says:

“And do not cause corruption upon the earth after its reformation.” [Qur’an, 7:56]

Allah strongly disapproves of those who disrupt peace. He the Almighty says:

“And Allah does not like corruption.” [Qur’an, 2:205]

Carrying tales to break relationships is strictly forbidden. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) warned that:

“The tale-bearer shall not enter Paradise.” [Sahih al-Bukhari]

The noble Qur’an compares backbiting, talking bad about someone behind their back, to a horrible act. Allah the Almighty says:

“Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would detest it.” [Qur’an, 49:12]

Concealing the truth, especially when it leads to injustice, is heavily criticized in Islamic law. Allah the Most High warns against mixing truth with falsehood. He says:

“And do not mix the truth with falsehood or conceal the truth while you know [it].” [Qur’an, 2:42]

Hiding testimony or knowledge that could deliver justice is a sin. Allah the Almighty says:

“And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals it, his heart is indeed sinful.” [Qur’an, 2:283]

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) warned about the spiritual cost of hiding beneficial knowledge. He said:

“Whoever is asked about knowledge and conceals it will be bridled with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection.” [Sunan Abi Dawud]

To stop lies and mischief, Islamic law sets clear social rules. Muslims are told to check rumors before reacting to avoid causing injustice. Allah the Most High says:

“O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information, investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become regretful.” [Qur’an, 49:6]

Muslims must speak the truth, even if it goes against their interests or their family members. [See Qur’an, 4:135]

Society is kept in check by the collective responsibility of Al-Amru bil-Ma’ruf wan-Nahyi anil-Munkar (Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil), making sure public deceit is called out and corrected.

Finally, I ask Allah the Almighty to guide us and our children to what is best for us and help us succeed in protecting ourselves and our families.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. May peace, blessings, and salutations be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions, and his true followers.