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April Fool’s Day By Shaykh Muhammad bin Hadi al-Mudkhali

The Question:

‘O our Shaykh we have a question here via email from the Miraath al-Anbiyaa website, asking about something that has become common nowadays, which is known as April Fools’ Day’. Perhaps you have a few words to say about this, may Allaah protect you.’

The Answer:

‘In the Name of Allaah The Most Kind The Most Merciful

All Praise be to Allaah Lord of the Worlds and praise and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and all his Companions.

There After:

Indeed Allaah – Subhanahu wa Ta’ala- has commanded in His Book to be truthful and honest. He ordered that one should adhere to truthful people.

Allaah – Jala wa Ulaa- said:

<< O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with those who are true.>> [Tawbah: 119]

The Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- prohibited lying and regarded it as being from the major sins.

He -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:

And beware of lying, indeed lying leads to evil deeds. A man continues to lie and is not careful about lying until he is written with Allaah as a liar.’ [Collected by Bukhari & Muslim]

Therefore, if this is the case, then it is obligatory upon the Muslim that he fear Allaah concerning himself, and adhere to the command of his Lord. The Muslim should obey Allaah’s Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- and he should indeed warn against lying, since lying is prohibited in all its colours and forms. The severity of its prohibition increases if it is done to make people laugh.

What we know about this matter which is being asked about, and has become widespread amongst the Muslims in recent times, is that regretfully the source of this is the Jews and the Christians, and the lands of the west and the east from all of these people together. Indeed they lie like this to make the people laugh, or so that the people remember the one who lies, and that he becomes famous by that lying, and that he is written in to the world of celebrities.

As for us, the Muslims, then the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:

‘Woe to the man who lies to make the people laugh, woe to him, woe to him.’

It is obligatory upon all of us that to be wary of this lying. This issue which you question, is concerning lying on April fool’s day it is prohibited, due to two points:

The first is that it is lying and we have all heard the statement of the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- when he said:

‘And beware of lying, indeed lying leads to evil deeds, and indeed evil deeds lead to the Fire. A man continues to lie and is not careful about lying until he is written with Allaah as a liar.’ [Collected by Bukhari & Muslim]

So this is one matter.

And the second matter is: that the seriousness of the forbiddance of lying and the reason for its prohibition, in addition to it being principally prohibited is that it is a matter of imitating the Kuffar (non-Muslims). These non-Muslims lie and they carry out such false matters, and perhaps they bring a great lie, and mention a great calamity, which they circulate and propagate especially using modern day media. This news spreads from the east to the west and it terrifies a lot, then later on it becomes known that there was no basis for that news.

Likewise, a Muslim lies to frighten his brother Muslim and causes him to become scared and due to that he becomes terrified, and perhaps he might even become afflicted with an illness. For example it is said to him, that such and such died from those who are beloved to you like a father, brother, son or daughter, or like if someone says: your house has been robbed, or your house has burnt down, etc. from these great matters, which probably cause a person to lose his mind and intellect. And perhaps he becomes sick, then what occurs from this lie is the responsibility of the liar.

So this lying done on April Fool’s Day is even more prohibited due to the great evil which involves imitating the Kuffar in this aspect.

Therefore, it is obligatory upon the Muslims to strictly warn against lying, and not to take the disbelieving enemies of Allaah has an example, indeed Allaah –Subhanahu wa Ta’ala- ordered them to be with the truthful.

<< O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with those who are true.>> [Tawbah: 119]

The Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:

‘The Muslim is he from whom the Muslims are secure from his tongue and hand.’

If a person lies to frighten the people then the Muslims are not secure from his tongue.

I ask Allaah that He grant us all the understanding of the Deen and insight into it, and to follow the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- and be cautious of imitating the disbelievers from those of the east and the west, and to be cautious of following the ways of the Jews and the Christians. This is what the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- informed us about, so it is not something strange that will occur in the Ummah of Islaam. They will take the Jews and the Christians as examples, and follow them identically, and they will walk behind them hand span for hand span, and forearm by forearm even if they were to enter a lizard’s hole we would enter into it.

I ask Allaah that He grant all of us the following of Allaah’s messenger and to be cautious of what our Lord – Tabarak wa Ta’ala- is displeased with, and that is by being away from these things and not to resemble the enemies of Allaah, the disbelievers. And that we adhere to the path of Islaam which is correct, and the straight way of Allaah, indeed He is The Bestower of Goodness, The Generous.

May Allaah send Praise, Peace and bless His slave and His Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad and upon his Family, his Companions and those who follow him in goodness.’

May Allaah reward you with good O Shaykh.’

[Source: http://ar.miraath.net/audios/april-fools] Link temporarily down