Writing Fictional Stories or Articles Is Not a Lie

18-11-2021 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu'alaykum warahmatullahi wabarokatuh. Shaikh, I want to ask. Is writing a fictional (not real, خيالي، لا حقيقة له) example of any format of a text, such as mail, a paper about business plan/strategy (that is not intended to be done in the future because it's just made for example), and any sentence, in order to learn a language (i.e. english language homework in this case), is it, counted as lying?Shukron.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

In principle, writing fictional examples, such as stories, articles, expressions, and the like, is permissible, and it is not a forbidden lie – which is telling about reality other than what it is – but rather, it is a matter of giving examples.

The Fatwa of Ibn Hajar Al-Haythami reads:

“Stories appear to be a lie, but in reality, they are not; rather, it is just giving examples.

We advise you to refrain from whispers, ignore them, and seek treatment.

Allah Knows best.