Advice for those who are lax regarding false testimony

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Question:
May Allah reward you, Shaykh Salih. People in our time are lax regarding false testimony. What advice do you give them?

Answer:
They should fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic. Allah the Exalted and Glorious said:

but only those who testify to the truth [can benefit], and they know.

إِلَّا مَن شَهِدَ بِالْحَقِّ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ

[Az-Zukhruf 43:86]

O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ

[An-Nisa 4:135]

O you who believe! Stand firmly for justice as witnesses for Allah, and let not the hatred of a people lead you to be unjust. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Shall I inform you of the biggest of the great sins?" They said, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle!" He said, "To join partners in worship with Allah

أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِأَكْبَرِ الْكَبَائِرِ قَالُوا بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ الإِشْرَاكُ بِاللَّهِ

Sahih al-Bukhari 6273

and sorcery, and killing the soul which Allah has forbidden except for a just cause, and consuming riba (usury or interest), and consuming the wealth of the orphan, and advancing into battle, and he was leaning, so he sat up (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: Beware of false testimony, beware of false speech, beware of false testimony. He kept repeating this until the Companions said, "May he have been silent," because of the intensity of the emotion they saw on him (peace and blessings be upon him). And he said (peace and blessings be upon him):

The foot of the false witness will not move on the Day of Resurrection until the Fire is written for him.

لا تزول قدم شاهد الزور يوم القيامة حتى تكتب له النار.

Yes.

Source قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 6393- نصيحة لمن يتساهل بشهادة الزور - الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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