Page 40 - What the Qur'an Says about Liars and Their Methods
P. 40

LYING IS COOPERATION

                                                WITH SATAN










                 Satan: The first liar
                 In the Qur'an, Allah informs us about some of Satan's
             characteristics:
                 He only commands you to do evil and indecent acts
                 and to say about Allah what you do not know. (Surat
                 al-Baqara, 2:169)
                 Lying is one of the bad effects that Satan has on people.
             Satan convinces people that lying is an easy way out of their
             problems and so inspires them to adopt that forbidden habit.
             People with weak faith listen to his whispers. Abdul Qadir al-
             Jaylani, the eleventh century Muslim thinker, drew attention to
             Satan's ability to make lies attractive with these words: "What
             has Satan not done to you? He has made you love lies. He has made
             evil acts seem attractive to you." 9
                 Another of Satan's characteristics is that he was the first
             liar. After Allah created Adam (as), the first man, He com-
             manded all of the angels to prostrate to him. All of the angels
             obeyed Allah's command, but out of arrogance and jealousy,
             Satan (Iblis) did not obey. And so Allah dismissed him from
             His presence and told him that he would be one of those who
             earned the eternal torment of Hell in the Hereafter. Satan
             swore to divert people from Allah's path, and started by trying
             to deceive Adam (as) and Eve, his wife, by lying to them. Allah


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