The Normalisation of Lying

Praise be to Allah (swt) and Blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad (saw)

O you who are firmly committed [to Allah’s here-and-now power presence]! If any de praved person comes to you with [slanderous and propagandistic] information, you are ordered [by Us] to verify it lest you [falsely] accuse people because of erroneous information and then afterward feel regretful for what you have done. [Al Hujurat, 49:6]

Today, most countries are led by leaders who can be described in one word as “kakistocrats.” Kakistocracy is governed by the worst, least qualified, and most unscrupulous citizens. And that is exactly what we are witnessing. The most dishonest rule is the most honest. The most corrupt govern the most virtuous. The most immoral lecture is on morality. It is no longer a matter of democracy, merit, or service. It is a matter of who knows how to lie best, steal the most, and serve foreign masters most obediently.

The world is not plunged into chaos by chance. It is plunged into chaos deliberately. It is led by the worst among us, those we will gather under the term twaghoot, the transgressors.

[…] indeed, Allah does not guide whomever is extravagant, a liar. [Ghafir, 40:28]

Kakistocracy is a system of government in which power is held by the least competent, the most unprincipled, or the most profoundly incompetent individuals. It is a sharp, critical term used to describe corrupt or failing administrations.

The Tolerance of Lying

What about individuals who lie casually, without scruple?

[…] and avoid making false statements, [Al Hajj, 22:30]

How many times have we heard individuals lie in Allah’s name, saying “Insha Allah,” yet having no intention of keeping their word? Lying casually, without any scruple, has become normal. How often do people lie by omission? They tell a story, then leave out the part that would put them in a bad light. We have become so accustomed to this in every area of our lives, in every category. Whether in trade, buying and selling, or shopping — what do you observe? We now expect deceptive advertising.

O you who are securely committed [to Allah]! Be on guard and avoid Allah [His power retribution], and be among those who are true to their faith and word! [At Tawbah, 9:119]

In the field of education, there is now a generation of young people who can obtain their diplomas through essays they did not write, using ideas that are not their own; all of it the product of AI. Their entire education is a fraud. And this is the new normal.

Is it possible for a believer to be a liar? These two things cannot go together. Everyone has weaknesses, and we all work to overcome them. Allah (swt) says that liars will not be guided. If you are a believer, this means you are guided toward the truth. You benefit from a certain level of hidaya, guidance from Allah (swt). Yet Allah (swt) says:

[…] indeed, Allah does not guide whomever is extravagant, a liar. [Ghafir, 40:28]

Allah does not guide one who is a transgressor and a liar. So this idea of lying casually, without scruple, as if it were nothing, throughout one’s life and the fact that we live in an environment where this is so common and expected: this is not the environment of a believer.

In the field of politics, lying has become commonplace. The average politician only worries about being elected, even knowing that what he says is false and that he will not be able to keep his promises. Any resemblance to local politicians is purely coincidental.

Lying Is a Weapon

Lying is the hallmark of the false defenders of freedom of expression, including the international press. Lying is, above all, a weapon. It is used to achieve an objective — the genocide of the Palestinians, that of the Muslims of Kashmir, or the persecution of the Uyghurs. A lie repeated by different people gains credibility. By repeating a lie enough times, it ends up being taken for truth. This is the strategy adopted by the enemies of Allah to justify Israel’s so-called right to defend itself, a right denied to the Palestinians of Gaza. In the end, the lie serves the liar’s cause at the expense of his victims.

In the war between the Palestinians and the Zionists, lying has been used to justify the persecution, barbarity, and genocide of an entire people on their own land. In addition to physical violence, Palestinians also suffer mental torture: the arrest of children, break-ins at four in the morning, the arrest of women and fathers. Under the regime of administrative detention, founded on lies, Israel allows itself to arrest people without any charge being brought against them for six months, renewing these periods of imprisonment as it pleases.

In this “post-truth” world, we have grown accustomed to a constant stream of disinformation. Gaza has taught us this painful lesson: it is not how convincing a lie is that matters, but how many voices are ready to confirm it until the unreal becomes reality. Yet so many of us have internalized a similar campaign of doubt, insults, and propaganda regarding Syria, for example, spread mainly by those who ultimately failed to support Bashar al-Assad’s despicable regime.

Moreover, some sincere supporters of Palestinian liberation remain silent on Syria and the horrors committed by Assad as if there were a hierarchy of justice where only Palestinian suffering deserves validation. Picking and choosing one’s causes goes against Islamic principles of justice, which call on all believers to stand for justice no matter what, even when it goes against our own interests and those of our families.

Allah (swt) also constantly warns us, in the Qur’an, against those who perpetuate corruption (fasad), who help create immoral, unethical situations.

The Epstein class, those who rule the world by proxy, has shown the levels of immorality and depravity they are capable of reaching. The Epstein class is a concrete symbol of what twaghout is: those who have crossed every boundary, who want to control everything, even to impose their will on the world. They represent another level of idolatry, one that leads to the total submission of its followers.

Did I not entrust you, the children of Adam,not to abide by Satan — since, he is, indeed, your obvious [and avowed] enemy — [Ya-Sin, 36:60]

The Paedophile of the Oval Office is the perfect example of a kakistocrat. As a slave to the Epstein gang, he represents an invisible elite that hates our tawheed, and the resistance spirit of our Prophet (saw).

Muslims should reflect on the impact that the institutionalization of lying can have on the practice of the deen.

May Allah (swt) help and guide us.