The Lie That Taught the Truth

The Lie

BY:Khan

Wahab Sahib arrived at the school ground in the late afternoon to pick up his son, Abu Zar. To his surprise, Abu Zar was still busy chatting with his classmate and close friend, Tauseef. Smiling, Wahab stood a short distance away and overheard their lighthearted conversation.

“Hey Abu Zar! Why didn’t you come to school yesterday?” Tauseef asked casually, unaware that the question would put his friend in a difficult spot.

“Well… umm… actually…” Abu Zar stammered. He couldn’t think of a proper reply. Finally, after a brief hesitation, he muttered, “I had a headache and a little fever. That’s why I couldn’t attend school. I’m feeling a bit better today.”

It was a lie.

Wahab Sahib’s heart sank as he heard his son’s words. A wave of disappointment washed over him. His beloved child, the boy he wanted to raise with honesty and integrity, had just spoken a lie—so casually, so easily.

Tauseef, however, didn’t notice anything unusual and continued chatting. Neither boy realized that Wahab had heard everything.

“Abu Zar, your father is here,” Tauseef said suddenly as he noticed Wahab standing nearby.

Abu Zar turned quickly, a bit startled, but Wahab simply smiled. “Come on, son, it’s getting late. Let’s go home.” His voice was calm, but inside he was filled with sadness.

As they walked together, Wahab finally asked, “Tell me, my son, why did you lie to your friend? Why did you say you were sick yesterday when in reality you just skipped school?”

Abu Zar, embarrassed, shrugged. “Oh, Papa, small lies don’t matter nowadays. Everyone says little lies. It’s nothing serious.”

Wahab stopped walking and looked at his son with gentle seriousness. “No, my child. That is not true. A lie is always wrong, whether big or small. Lies belong to bad children. But you are my good son, aren’t you? You must never let lies take root in your heart.”

Hearing the kindness in his father’s voice, Abu Zar felt ashamed. “Yes, Papa. I understand. I promise, I will never lie again.”

“Good boy,” Wahab said warmly, ruffling his son’s hair.

When they reached home, the evening had grown quiet. Suddenly—knock, knock, knock!—there was a knock on the door.

“Abu Zar, go and see who it is,” Wahab called out.

“Yes, Papa,” the boy replied dutifully and went to open the door. He returned a moment later and said, “Papa, it’s your friend, Uncle Shaukat.”

Wahab frowned. “Oh no, not him again! He always comes at the most inconvenient times. Doesn’t he have anything better to do? What a nuisance!” Wahab muttered in irritation.

Then he looked at his son and said, “Go tell him I’m not home. Say I haven’t returned from the office yet.”

Obediently, Abu Zar went back to the door. But when he opened his mouth, the words came out differently than his father expected. “Uncle Shaukat, Papa said some very harsh things about you. He even told me to lie and say he hasn’t come back from the office yet. But I don’t know why he asked me to lie, because he always tells me lying is wrong.”

Shaukat’s face froze in shock. “What? Wahab called me names and asked you to lie for him? I can’t believe this. I thought he was my true friend, but now I see he is nothing but a liar.” Without another word, Shaukat turned and left in anger.

When Abu Zar came back inside, Wahab was furious. “Why did you tell him everything I said?” he scolded.

But Abu Zar did not cower. Instead, he looked at his father and asked softly, “Papa, have you forgotten?”

“Forgotten what?” Wahab demanded.

“Remember the other day when I lied to Tauseef about being sick? You taught me that lying is bad. You told me never to do it again. But today, you asked me to lie to your own friend. You say lying is wrong for me, but isn’t it also wrong for you? If you don’t follow your own advice, then what is the use of teaching me? That is why I spoke the truth to Uncle Shaukat. Since that day you taught me, I have hated lies and loved the truth. I could not bring myself to lie again.”

Abu Zar’s innocent words pierced Wahab’s heart like an arrow. He was speechless for a moment, then his stern face softened. He pulled his son close and kissed his forehead.

“My dear son, you are right. Today you have taught me something important. I told you not to lie, yet I myself lied. I am guilty of the very mistake I warned you about. But from this day forward, I too will be like you—an honest person who speaks only the truth.”

Abu Zar giggled in surprise. “Papa, are you calling yourself a child now?”

Wahab chuckled. “Not a child, my son. A man who tells the truth—just like my good boy.”

They both laughed together, the heaviness of the evening lifting from their hearts. Then Abu Zar suggested, “Papa, tomorrow let’s go to Uncle Shaukat’s house and apologize. We can win his heart back.”

Wahab nodded, hugging his son tightly. “Yes, my son. Together, we will make things right.”

That night, as Wahab lay in bed, he realized something profound: Children may learn from their parents, but sometimes it is the children who remind the parents of the values they themselves forget.

And in that moment, Wahab felt proud—not just of his son, but of the truth that would now guide both of their lives.