Moreover, the hypocrite is a liar, for his outward appearance suggests that he is a Muslim while he is, in fact, an unbeliever; he lies through his very conduct.

The Prophet’s words, “lying leads to fujūr (wickedness),” mean that wickedness is departing from obedience to Allah. A person who rebels oversteps his limits, abandoning obedience for disobedience. The most serious form of wickedness is disbelief—Allah forbid—for disbelief itself is sheer wickedness. Allah the Exalted says, “Those are truly the unbelievers, the wicked” (Qur’an 80:42); He also says, “No indeed! The record of the wicked is in Sijjīn. And what will make you know what Sijjīn is? A written register. Woe on that Day to those who deny, those who deny the Day of Recompense” (Qur’an 83:7–11); and He says, “Indeed the wicked will be in a blazing Fire” (Qur’an 82:14).

Thus lying leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Fire—may Allah protect us from it.

He ﷺ also said, “A man will tell a lie …,” and in another wording, “A man continues to lie and deliberately pursues falsehood until he is recorded with Allah as a persistent liar.” Lying is categorically forbidden; some scholars even deem it one of the major sins because the Messenger ﷺ threatened that such a person will be written with Allah as a liar.

Among the gravest kinds of lying is what some people do today: they knowingly fabricate a statement merely to make others laugh. About this the Prophet ﷺ warned: “Woe to the one who tells …”