Abu Umamah Al-Bahili (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,
"I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who
gives up arguing, even if he is in the right;
and I guarantee a home in the middle of Jannah
for one who abandons lying even for the sake of fun;
and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah
for one who has good manners.''
[Abu Dawud].
Commentary: Withdrawal from one's right in order to end a dispute
is a manly act of great merit. Likewise, this Hadith tells us that a man
should avoid telling a lie even in a light vein. If he gives great importance
to the rules of the Shari`ah (Islamic Law) and the Commandments of Allah
and His Prophet (PBUH), he will definitely refrain from telling a lie even in a
chat session or just for the sake of joke. Usually, people don't mind if one
tells a lie in a jocular mood, rather some will perhaps approve it.
Yet, Allah disapproves of even the harmless or trivial form of falsehood
and commands His slaves to keep away from it. From all considerations,
however, moral excellence carries immense weight. Because no wrong
or evil thing can be shunned without it. In other words, moral excellence
surpasses all forms of goodness.
