here is the ruling on lies in Islam
Details
Name of Questioner
Ahmed - United Arab Emirates
Title
Lying Is Not a Trait of the Muslim
Question
Respected scholars of Islam, as-Salamu `alaykum. I would like to know the Shari`ah-based ruling on telling lies. Jazakum Allah Khayran.
Date
04/Apr/2004
Name of Counsellor
Topic
Morals & Values
Answer
Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear brother in Islam, it gives us pleasure to receive your question and to see the Muslim youth are interested in knowing the teachings of Islam, which Allah has chosen for His servants as a way of life. According to the Qur’an, a true Muslim should refer to scholars to get himself well-acquainted with the sound image of Islam.
Truthfulness, trustworthiness, faithfulness, and honesty are Islamic traits that every Muslim should be distinguished with. Telling lies, dishonesty, and all evil and bad traits are not from Islam and Muslims, therefore, are not characterized by such traits.
The eminent Muslim scholar, Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, states:
"Telling lies is a bad conduct. It is not proper for righteous people and true believers; rather, it is a sign of hypocrisy, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'The hypocrite has three characteristics: he tells lies, breaks his promise and breaches the trust.' (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Also, Allah Almighty says, 'Only they invent falsehood who believe not Allah's revelations, and (only) they are the liars.' (An-Nahl: 105)
Telling lies is not part of the human nature. It is completely rejected in Islam, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned Muslims against such evil trait, saying: 'Stick to truthfulness, for it leads one to righteousness, and the latter leads to Paradise. Thus, when one sticks to truthfulness and shows keenness in it, Allah considers him as an absolutely truthful man. And avoid telling lies, for it leads to excessiveness, and this leads to Hell-Fire. Thus, when one persists in telling lies, Allah considers him as a liar.'
Therefore, truthfulness is a conduct that can be acquired by keenness and persistence in telling the truth - even if it requires a lot of effort. A Muslim should strive to accomplish such a noble characteristic so that he can set a good example to the coming generations.
There are levels of lying, i.e., the more harm lying causes, the more urgently it is rejected and the severer punishment for it will be. Thus, some lies are considered minor sins, while others are major ones."
You can also read:
Lying Jokingly
Effect of Lying on Fasting
If you are still in need of more information, don't hesitate to contact us. Do keep in touch. May Allah guide us all to the straight path!
http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/...h-Ask_Scholar/FatwaE/FatwaE&cid=1119503543896
however, I'd advise you to google the 'stealth crusade' to see the christian view on lying though, it is quite interesting, the tactics, the misinformation and the lies!
all the best