5 Ways People Lie About Their Identity on Social Media
Allah, the Exalted, says, {O believers! Be mindful of Allah and be with the
truthful.} [At-Tawbah 9:119]
In the age of the digital boom and the
dominance of social media platforms, lying is no longer limited to spreading rumors or
engaging in deception to collect likes and manipulate algorithms to gain
greater visibility. It has expanded to affect the very core of a person’s
identity and how they present themselves to others.
Those who engage in such behavior have
forgotten that becoming immersed in the details of falsehood is a clear
involvement in what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, warned
against when he said: “Avoid (you people)
falsehood, for falsehood leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to Hell, and
if a man continues to speak falsehood and makes falsehood his object he will be
recorded as a liar before Allah.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and
Muslim)
Falsifying Identities on Social
Media
There are five common ways people
falsify their identities on social media:
1. Being Ashamed to Reveal
Their Real Age
Some people enter the virtual world in
search of social acceptance that they feel they lack in their real lives. They
deliberately make themselves appear younger in the hope of looking more
attractive, or add years to their actual age to give their followers the
impression that they possess greater maturity and experience.
Keeping one’s age private and choosing
not to disclose it are permissible. However, there is a fundamental difference
between withholding personal information and deliberately lying. A person’s
worth is not measured by the numbers entered in a profile’s personal
information section, but by the wisdom, character, and experience they possess.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, reminds us of the blessings of truthfulness when he says, “Telling of truth is a virtue and virtue leads to Paradise
and the servant who endeavours to tell the truth is recorded as truthful...”
(Narrated by Muslim)
2. Falsely Claiming Academic
Qualifications and Degrees
Claiming to possess an academic
qualification or university degree that one has never earned is not merely an
attempt to gain social prestige. It is an exploitation of people’s trust and a
form of deception that may lead to providing uninformed advice or taking job
opportunities away from those who genuinely deserve them.
This behavior falls directly under the
Prophet’s stern warning: “The one who creates
such a (false impression) of receiving what one has not been given is like one
who wears the garment of falsehood.” (Narrated
by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
What could be a greater form of
falsehood than wearing the mantle of knowledge that one has never acquired or
claiming a degree that one has never earned?
3. Giving Themselves Fake
Titles and Positions
Deception is no longer confined to
fraudulent business dealings or the misrepresentation of products. It has
extended into social interactions, where individuals assign themselves
impressive titles such as “consultant,” “expert,” or “company director,”
turning these false claims into a means of gaining financial or social
benefits.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, firmly puts an end to every form of deception with his clear
statement: “He who deceives is not of me (is not
my follower).” (Narrated by Muslim)
This is a stern warning that exposes
how some people take these behaviors lightly, dismissing them as harmless
attempts to enhance their image.
4. Inventing Achievements and
Imaginary Work Experience
In the biography and personal
information sections of their profiles, some people allow their imaginations to
run wild, creating impressive resumes filled with imaginary awards and
extensive experience at major companies. They replace reality with glittering
illusions.
Allah, the Exalted, says, {O believers! Why do you say what you do not do? How
despicable it is in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do!}
[As-Saff 61:2–3]
A small, genuine achievement
accomplished through honest effort is more honorable to its owner and more
lasting than an impressive record filled with imaginary accomplishments.
5. Falsifying Marital Status on
Social Media
Some people resort to creating
accounts under false identities and manipulating their marital status, whether
by concealing an existing marriage or falsely claiming to be single. Their aim
is to lure others into relationships built on deception.
How many painful shocks and family
disputes have begun with nothing more than a false statement in the profile
section of a social media account!
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