Is it considered lying to deceive an animal, such as by making it believe there is food to attract it?

The issue relates to human beings and their behavior, for truthfulness is a characteristic that a Muslim must embody in all their dealings. Whoever is truthful in all their affairs will find it difficult to deceive an animal with food when they have nothing, according to the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: "Indeed, truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise... And a man continues to be truthful until he becomes a truthful person (siddiq)."

Deceiving an animal with food when it is not present can be considered a lie for which one may be held accountable, as mentioned in the hadith regarding deceiving children. Malik bin Dinar said: "Truthfulness and falsehood wrestle in the heart until one expels the other." An exception to this is if the animal's owner needs to attract it or if it is part of its training, as necessity permits some otherwise prohibited matters.