What is the ruling on lying in jest and using euphemisms and circumlocutions?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling on lying in jest?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Lying in jest is a type of euphemism; what is its ruling?
The Shaykh : I did not understand.
The questioner : Lying in jest.
The Shaykh : Lying in jest?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is considered lying [everyone laughs!]. Do you think that jesting justifies lying?
The questioner : They call them euphemisms and circumlocutions; euphemisms and circumlocutions?
The Shaykh : Euphemisms and circumlocutions—may Allah reward you—are different from jesting. Lying in jest is perhaps worse than lying; in the Syrian expression, it is "haff," meaning it is done alone, do you understand? Because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to jest, but he did not say anything but the truth. So if this person among the people jests and lies, that means he is committing a sin and contradicting the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who used to jest but did not say anything but the truth. As for circumlocutions and euphemisms, these are other matters. If there is a necessity for circumlocution and euphemism, then this is also explicit lying. But when does one do that? When there is a need. As for making it a habit without an occasion and without a need, that is also not permissible.
Please proceed.
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Lying in jest is a type of euphemism; what is its ruling?
The Shaykh : I did not understand.
The questioner : Lying in jest.
The Shaykh : Lying in jest?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : It is considered lying [everyone laughs!]. Do you think that jesting justifies lying?
The questioner : They call them euphemisms and circumlocutions; euphemisms and circumlocutions?
The Shaykh : Euphemisms and circumlocutions—may Allah reward you—are different from jesting. Lying in jest is perhaps worse than lying; in the Syrian expression, it is "haff," meaning it is done alone, do you understand? Because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) used to jest, but he did not say anything but the truth. So if this person among the people jests and lies, that means he is committing a sin and contradicting the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), who used to jest but did not say anything but the truth. As for circumlocutions and euphemisms, these are other matters. If there is a necessity for circumlocution and euphemism, then this is also explicit lying. But when does one do that? When there is a need. As for making it a habit without an occasion and without a need, that is also not permissible.
Please proceed.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.