Mufti Menk – How to Deal With Liars

			[REVIEWED]
Many of us have an issue sometimes where if we don't like someone we find it difficult to greet them
or to respond to the greeting. Allah says, when you are greeted, reply the greeting. What is a
greeting in Islam? It's a prayer. It's actually a prayer where you're asking Allah to have mercy
upon someone, or to have peace upon someone to give them peace and blessings. So you say Assalamu
alaikum, which means May peace be upon you. What a blessing prayer. So Allah says, if they've given
you something, give them something in return, which is better than what they gave you or minimum,
give them similar to what they gave you. So when someone says May peace be upon you, Allah says in
		

			verse number 86, of Surah Nisa
		

			<<Wa izaa huyyeetum bitahaiyyatin fahaiyoo bi ahsana minhaaa..>> [Q,4:86], when you are greeted with a
greeting, greet back with a better greeting, <<..aw ruddoohaa..>> [Q,4:86] or if you don't do that, at least respond
to it similarly, SubhanaAllah. So this is something you need to know, greet people and respond to
their greetings in a beautiful way, and Allah will open your doors. So someone might say, Well, I
don't really like this person. My brothers and sisters, if there is someone who is harming you day
and night, someone whom you know, it is proven that they are working towards your downfall. And if
you know for a fact that they are greeting you as a mockery, in that case, you don't have to respond
		

			to their lies. Why do we say lies, because they are telling you may peace be upon you, but in actual
fact, they have war upon you. So they're lying, they are being hypocritical. Still, it would be
better to just respond to that by just saying wa'alaikummussalam, but if they are really harming
you, there have been instances in the life of Rasulullah sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam where
		

			he has not responded to the greetings of some by the instruction of Allah. And he told his
companions for a certain time not to respond to the greetings of some, by the instruction of Allah.
From that we do learn that if there is someone who you know for a fact is making a mockery of it,
then you don't respond that particular lies and like I said, the lies is because they're telling you
Peace be upon you, but they don't mean it at all. Not at all. They're working in opposite
directions. However, Allah says, still try to greet back. Do you know what? Your duty when someone
greets you, just greet them back, greet them back with a better greeting Assalamu alaikum; May Peace be
		

			upon you, Wa'alaikummussalam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh, May the peace of Allah be upon you and His
Mercy and His Blessings, Mashallah. So I've greeted you back. Because Allah says, <<..innal laaha kaana 'alaa kulli shai'in Haseeba>> [Q,4:86], Allah counts everything; He's taking account of all of this, He knows. So
you will still have the good, you know, on your name, you're still going to have the good in your
account. So be good and respond to these beautiful greetings, May Allah subhanho wa Taala make us
genuine