April Fools Day is Prohibited in Islam

Your best friend comes up to you and tells you news that makes you jump for joy. No sooner have you expressed your happiness than he quickly tells you it is untrue. You stare at him blankly an asked him why he lied. He says to you: “It’s April Fool’s Day.

Does Islam sanction such behavior? Can it regard such behavior as a harmless custom? Can we concoct lies containing happy or sad news, as long as we quickly inform the other person that it is a lie or cry out “April Fools!”?

Lying is not permissible at all, at any time. And it is not permissible to imitate the kuffar (non-Muslims) and to be like them, on this day or on any other, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.”


To start with, we must know that a lie is defined as giving information about something, where that information is at variance with the truth. A lie is forbidden in Islam.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Be truthful, for indeed truth guides us to righteousness, and righteousness leads us to Paradise. A man remains honest and steadfast in ascertaining the truth until he is recorded with Allah as a truthful person. A lie guides us to wickedness, and wickedness leads us to Hell. A man keeps lying and seeking out lies until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî (6134) and Sahîh Muslim (2607)]