are most entitled to our guardianship and care—our parents.

The Prophet ﷺ was reclining on his side, but then he sat up straight, rested on his hand, and declared, “Beware of lying speech and of false testimony.”

These too rank among the gravest of the major sins. The Prophet ﷺ sat up at this point because the harm they cause is immense and their consequences are disastrous.

“Lying speech” means uttering falsehood, while “false testimony” refers to giving witness based on a deliberate lie—may Allah protect us. Sadly, false testimony today has become cheap in the eyes of many. The witness imagines that he is doing a kindness to the one for whom he testifies, yet he actually wrongs three parties: himself, the one on whose behalf he testifies, and the one against whom he testifies.

He wrongs himself because he has committed a major sin—indeed, one of the gravest. He wrongs the beneficiary because he enables him to seize what he does not deserve and to consume what is unlawful. And he wrongs the accused, which is obvious, for he has oppressed him and violated his rights. That is why false testimony is counted among the gravest of the major sins—may Allah protect us.

Do not imagine that giving false testimony for someone is a favor to him. By Allah, it is nothing but harm. Regrettably, many people nowadays stand before government officials and claim that so-and-so is the rightful party, hoodwinking the authorities and borrowing names that are not genuine, all in pursuit of some worldly gain. By such lying they forfeit both this world and the hereafter—may Allah safeguard us.

This ḥadīth therefore obliges every rational person to beware of four matters: associating partners with Allah, disobedience to parents, lying speech, and false testimony.