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The question

What is the ruling on lying in jest when it does not infringe upon a right, and the other party knows that the words are not intended literally? And is it a major or minor sin, assuming it is prohibited? And do the examples mentioned fall under the general meaning of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) saying: "Woe to him who speaks and lies to make people laugh; woe to him, woe to him"?

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Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

The default ruling for lying is prohibition, whether it is in jest or otherwise. Your praise for the beauty of your relatives is not a lie, because all of Allah's creation is beautiful. Informing your uncle that you are looking for a bride for him is a lie that must be abandoned. Informing your friend that people are saying they have a lot of money is a lie, unless it is a commonly understood idiom in your country. Your statement to someone you meet, "You consider him a man," must be abandoned because it is an aspersion on his masculinity.

Summary from Ftawy's records · added here

Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.

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Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
114108
Added here
. This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
Text
Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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