1323 – Bahz ibn Ḥakīm, from his father, from his grandfather (may Allah be pleased with him), reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Woe to the one who speaks and then lies in order to make the people laugh—woe to him, and again, woe to him!” It was recorded by the three compilers, and its chain of transmission is strong.⦗1⦘

Hadith grading
The hadith is ḥasan (sound).
Al-Manāwī said: It was transmitted by Aḥmad, Abū Dāwūd, al-Tirmidhī, and al-Ḥākim on the authority of Muʿāwiyah ibn Ḥaydah; al-Tirmidhī judged it sound and al-Mundhirī regarded it as reliable.
The author likewise states: It was reported by the three, and its isnād is strong.

Vocabulary
– wayl (woe): ruin; some said it is a valley in Hell.

Points derived from the hadith

1. The report threatens ruin for anyone who addresses people with lies merely to amuse them, entertaining them with fabrications and false statements.
2. The prohibition of lying is affirmed in numerous texts from the Quran and the Sunnah:
   From the Quran:
   – “And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge.” ⦗al-Isrāʾ 17:36⦘
   – “No word does he utter but there is with him a watcher, ever ready to record.” ⦗Qāf 50:18⦘