Page 64 - What the Qur'an Says about Liars and Their Methods
P. 64

WHAT THE QUR'AN SAYS ABOUT LIARS AND THEIR METHODS
                 tern of Allah. You will not find any alteration in the
                 pattern of Allah. (Surah Fatir, 35:43)
                 Liars devise plots in order to deceive others, to justify
             themselves, or to protect their advantages. And yet they al-
             ways end up falling into their own traps and losing a great
             deal. Some of these losses are as follows:


                 The trust of others: Since all liars give themselves away
             sooner or later, they lose other people's trust and respect. Even
             when they are telling the truth, they are regarded with suspi-
             cion. They are entrusted with nothing, and nobody wants to do
             business with them. Unable to make sincere and honest
             friends, people act carefully around them. Imam al-Ghazali
             calls lying "the mother of all great sins" and continues:
                 "If a person is known as a liar, no trust in him remains, he is
                 disgraced and is regarded as of no value. If you want to un-
                 derstand the ugliness of lying, look at the ugliness of the lies
                 of other people, see what hatred is felt for them and how much
                 a liar is scorned, and be aware of how ugly you will find your
                 own lie..." 10


                 Self-affection and self-trust: Liars, all of whom are aware
             of their own immorality, regard themselves as wicked and
             worthless, and so neither respect nor trust themselves. They
             behave in a crushed and complex-ridden way, because they
             know how others see them. In addition, they try to hide their
             cunning by behaving in a self-assured and pushy manner.


                 Whenever their lies come to light, the liars are belittled:
             While liars strive to exalt themselves and protect their pride,
             they show to everybody their extremely low character.

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