Page 54 - What the Qur'an Says about Liars and Their Methods

WHAT THE QUR'AN SAYS ABOUT LIARS AND THEIR METHODS
sponsible for their lies if no oath was made. In addition, when
some people are lying, their strange and superstitious actions
(e.g., lifting one foot or crossing their fingers) are a sign that such
people are truly "ignorant," in the sense that they have no under-
standing of true morality. To believe that these and other such
simple games protect them against sinful acts and absolves them
from responsibility in the afterlife makes it clear for all to see that
such people do not appreciate Allah as they should. Like a num-
ber of false beliefs, such deceitful rationales have no basis in rea-
son or religion. Allah explains it in the Qur'an, as follows:
What is the matter with you? On what basis do you
judge? Or do you have a Book that you study so that
you may have anything in it you choose? Or do you
have oaths that bind Us, extending to the Day of
Rising, that you will have whatever you decide? (Surat
al-Qalam, 68:36-39)

Trying to cover up one lie with another
Liars are usually caught in their lies. However, because they
do not behave according to their conscience, they usually tell an-
other lie to protect themselves from a previous one. Thus, they
gradually create a chain of lies. For instance, in order to protest
against a friend who has warned him to act in a better way, a per-
son remains silent. When his friend asks why he does not answer,
instead of saying that it was a protest, for which he apologizes
and regrets, he replies: "I was thinking of something else, and so
I didn't reply." When asked what he was thinking about, he lies
yet again, for he had stayed quiet only to protest against his
friend's words and to annoy him.
All liars continually plan and calculate, and so none of their
behavior or speech is natural, straightforward, sincere, or honest.

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