Caesar asked various questions to Abu Sufyan regarding the Holy Rasool               صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Although Abu Sufyan held enmity against the Holy Rasool           صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم at that time due to Kufr [disbelief], but even then he gave honest answers to all the question which Caesar asked him regarding the blessed character of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The only reason why he did not lie to degrade the status of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was that due to lying, the society will call me a liar and this worse of the sins will be associated with me. Therefore, while mentioning the reason for not lying to degrade the status of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and speaking the truth out of compulsion, he himself states: ‘فَوَ اللہِ لَوْلَا الْحَیَاءُ مِنْ اَنْ یَاثِرُوْا عَلَیَّ کَذِبًا لَکَذَبْتُ عَنْہُ’ i.e. by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! If I did not fear being embarrassed over the fact that people will associate [the act of] lying against me, then I would have lied against the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 10, Hadees 7)

Dear Islamic brothers! This parable proves that people used to severely hate lying even before Islam. That was the only reason why Sayyiduna Abu Sufyan رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ did not lie about the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم so that people do not say about him that a dignified chief like Abu Sufyan also lies.

Just ponder that how evil the practice of lying is that it was considered to be evil among people even before Islam. Then why do we not try to refrain from this evil practice despite being Muslims? Whereas, Allah Almighty has commanded us to refrain from it. Allah Almighty says in part 17, Surah              Al-Hajj, Ayah 30:

وَ اجْتَنِبُوْا قَوْلَ الزُّوْرِۙ(۳۰)

Translation from Kanz-ul-Iman: And avoid false speech.

O devotees of Rasool! You have heard that we have been commanded to refrain from lying in the Glorious Quran; because lying is a sign of the weakness of faith [Iman]. Lying is such an epidemic that is spreading rapidly in our society.

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                                                      صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد