Page 25 - What the Qur'an Says about Liars and Their Methods
P. 25

Why People Lie
             To do wrong and deceive others:

             People who do not live out the Qur'an's morality may dis-
         like or envy another person—sometimes even a friend—for
         very petty reasons. As a result of these illogical and self-gener-
         ated feelings, they want to take their revenge, to a greater or
         lesser degree, on such a person, even though they might be
         friends.
             For instance, when a liar is going somewhere with his
         friend, he might not want to tell his friend that his clothing is
         unsuitable, for that way all of the attention will be on him. In
         other words, the liar does not want to tell the truth and make
         his friend look better.
             Or perhaps when two friends are working on the same
         task, one does not pass on useful information or even with-
         holds important information on the excuse that: "That's all
         there is." In this way, her friend's work is slowed down so that
         she will look better and win the competition.
             On the other hand, because the believers have great re-
         spect and affection for one another, they are invariably helpful
         and supportive. In fact, they want the better and finer things
         both for themselves and also for their fellow believers. As a re-
         sult, they never lie to one another, but always offer help and
         support from the heart. They try to make their friends' appear-
         ance as attractive as possible and do whatever they can to help
         them in their work. This indicates the believers' sincerity and
         their close relationship with each other.
             In a verse, Allah tells us that:
             ... [Those who] do not find in their hearts any need for
             what they [their brothers and sisters] have been given
             and prefer them to themselves, even if they them-
             selves are needy. It is the people who are safe-
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