- English translation
Never lie to God or to your friend.
- Literal wording
Your Lord and your companion, do not lie to him.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying singles out two relationships that must stay free of deception: the one with God, who already knows everything and cannot be fooled, and the one with a genuine friend or close companion who has placed trust in you. Naming these two does not excuse dishonesty in other dealings.
A friendship stands on openness, so lying to a friend quietly undoes the very bond one claims to have. Deceiving a companion contradicts the loyalty and sincerity that friendship is supposed to mean, turning closeness into pretense.
- When it is used
Fits moments when someone is tempted to mislead a close friend, or as a reminder that candor is owed above all where trust runs deepest. It can also gently rebuke a person caught shading the truth with an intimate companion.
- Register
- colloquial Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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