27/46. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1972 — The Harm of Lying
What Has Been Related About Truthfulness And Falsehood
Hadith About the Spiritual Harm of Lying
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1972
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1972
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ بْنِ هَارُونَ الْغَسَّانِيِّ حَدَّثَكُمْ عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ أَبِي رَوَّادٍ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِذَا كَذَبَ الْعَبْدُ تَبَاعَدَ عَنْهُ الْمَلَكُ مِيلاً مِنْ نَتْنِ مَا جَاءَ بِهِ " . قَالَ يَحْيَى فَأَقَرَّ بِهِ عَبْدُ الرَّحِيمِ بْنُ هَارُونَ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ عَبْدُ الرَّحِيمِ بْنُ هَارُونَ .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah said: "When The Slave (Of Allah) Lies, The Angel Goes A Mile Away From Him Because Of The Stench Of What He Has Done." Yahya Said: "(I Asked) 'Abdur-Rahim Bin Harun If He Approved Of It, And He Said 'Yes'."
[1] Meaning, Yahyā recited it to ‘Abdur-Raḥīm, on his authority, that he heard it from ‘Abdul-‘Azīz... and ‘Abdur-Raḥīm said yes, meaning it was narrated to me like that.Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1972In-book reference : Book 27, Hadith 78English translation : Vol. 4, Book 1, Hadith 1972
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1972
This hadith about lying gives a strong image of how ugly false speech is. The Prophet said that when the slave of Allah lies, the angel goes a mile away from him because of the stench of what he has done. The wording shows that lying is not treated as a light matter. It has a bad spiritual effect, described here through the angel moving away because of the foulness of the act. The hadith does not list many types of lies or give extra rulings. Its main message is focused: lying is dirty in meaning and harmful to the person who does it. A believer should fear such speech and choose truth instead.
What we learn from this hadith
- Lying is described as spiritually foul in this hadith.
- False speech can push away angelic closeness.
- A believer should not treat lying as a small habit.
- The hadith encourages careful and truthful speech.
