FIRST REMINDER. Wednesday. 25th day of Shawwaal. LYING DAMAGES OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH ALLAH AND DAMAGE OUR HEARTS. BISULPHITE RAHMAANIR RAHEEM. Rasuul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise; a person remains truthful until he is written as a Siddeeq (truthful person) with Allah. Lying leads to sin and sin leads to the Fire; a person keeps lying until he is written as a Kadhdhab (liar) with Allah.” Imam Malik may Allah be pleased with him records that Abdullah ibn Masud RA, would say, “Each time someone lies a black spot appears on his heart until his whole heart becomes black and he is written with Allah as a Kadhdhab.” He also records that it was asked of the pious Luqman may Allah be pleased with him, “How have you reached this level in excellence?” He replied, “By being true in speech, fulfilling trusts and leaving what does not concern me.” Such is the importance of remaining truthful that the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said that a Muumin could at any one time perform one sin or the other but he could never be a liar. Shaitan incites us to lie, saying it is only one lie. But that is how the habit develops and before a person knows it, each black dot has had its cumulative effect of blackening the whole heart. The complete blackening of the heart is the proof a person presents to Allah to have him or her written down as a kadhdhab a confirmed liar AstaqhfirulLah. May Allah protect us from any kind of lying even if for jokes. Aameen.