Fatwa ID: 05913
Answered by: Maulana Syed Johir Miah
Question:
What’s the ruling of lying but with the intention of joking?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Allah(عز و جل) says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَكُونُواْ مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ ﴿١١٩﴾
“O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true.”. (Surah Tawbah, Verse 119).
Sayyiduna Hakeem ( رضى الله عنه ) narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
وَيْلٌ لِلَّذِي يُحَدِّثُ القَوْمَ ثم يَكْذِبُ لِيُضْحِكَهُم وَيْلٌ لَهُ ووَيْلٌ لهُ
“Woe to him who talks to people and lies to make them laugh, woe to him, woe to him”. 1
Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Masud ( رضى الله عنه ) stated the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:
إيّاكُمْ والكَذِبَ، فَإنَّ الكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إلى الفُجُورِ، وإنَّ الفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إلى النّارِ، وإنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَكْذِبُ ويَتَحَرّى الكَذِبَ حَتّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَذّابًا، وعَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ، فَإنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إلى البِرِّ، وإنَّ البِرَّ يَهْدِي إلى الجَنَّةِ، وإنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَصْدُقُ ويَتَحَرّى الصِّدْقَ حَتّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ صِدِّيقًا»
Avoid falsehood, for falsehood leads to wickedness, and wickedness to hell; and if a man continues to speak falsehood and makes falsehood his object, he will be recorded in Allah’s presence as a great liar. And adhere to truth, for the truth leads to good deeds, and good deeds lead to paradise. If a man continues to speak the truth and makes truth his object, he will be recorded in Allah’s presence as eminently truthful. 2
Likewise, Sayyiduna Abdullah Bin Masud ( رضى الله عنه ) stated:
لا يَصْلُحُ الكَذِبُ فِي جِدٍّ ولا هَزْلٍ، ولا أنْ يَعِدَ أحَدُكُمْ ولَدَهُ شَيْئًا ثُمَّ لا يُنْجِزُ لَهُ
“Lying is not correct, neither in seriousness nor in jest. None of you should promise his child something and then not give it to him.”3
Joking is permissible as long as it is not regular, it does not contain any lies in it, it does not dishearten anyone, and there is no exaggeration in it.
Perseverance and persistence in it are reprehensible and inexcusable, and it is a cause of deathly laughter for the heart, and in some circumstances, it causes grudges. 4
Hence, in the aforementioned case, it is impermissible to lie even with the intention of joking.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Syed Johir Miah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
1 Musnad, Ibnul Mubarak, 10/1, Maktabatul Maarif, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 1407 H.
Zuhd, Hannad Bin Saree, 553/2, Darul Khulafa, Kuwait, 1406 H.
2 Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 4989, 297/4, Al-Maktabatul Asriyyah, Beirut, Lebanon.
3 Al-Adabul Mufrad, Bukhari, Hadith Number 387, 140/1, Darul Bashair, Beirut, Lebanon, 1409 H.
4 وفيه دليل على جواز المزح أحيانًا، وعلى الندور، بشرط أن يكون حقًّا ليس فيه كذب، وأن لا يؤذي قلبًا، ولا يفرط فيه، فإن دوامه والمواظبة عليه هزل مذموم، وسبب للضحك المميت للقلب، ويورث الضغينة في بعض الأحوال
Sharhu Sunan Abi Dawud, Ibn Raslaan, 155/19, Darul Falah, Egypt, 2016.
