Parenting Perspective 

When a child’s imaginative stories start to be presented as truth, it can cause confusion and mistrust. Unlike simple creative play, this crosses the line into misleading behaviour. It is important to guide your child with patience, helping them to understand the seriousness of presenting falsehood as fact. 

Address the Behaviour Directly 

It is best not to laugh off these stories or to react with harshness. Instead, speak to your child clearly and calmly: ‘That was an interesting story, but it was not what really happened, and it is important that we do not confuse people.’ This sends a firm but gentle signal that misleading others is not acceptable. 

Explain the Impact and Encourage Honest Sharing 

Help your child to understand the real-world consequences of their actions by explaining, ‘When we tell stories that are not true, people can get upset when they find out.’ You can then guide them towards separating their imagination from reality: ‘If you want to tell a make-believe story, that is wonderful! Just let’s make sure everyone knows it is a story, not something that really happened.’ 

Provide Outlets for Creativity 

It is also important to provide positive outlets for their imagination, such as through drawing, creative writing, or role-playing games. When a child sees that their creativity is valued and celebrated in the right context, they are much less likely to use it in a way that misleads others. This helps them to understand that imagination is a gift, but honesty is the foundation of trust. 

Spiritual Insight 

Fabricating Falsehood is a Sign of Weak Faith 

Islam values both creativity and truthfulness, but it strongly warns against knowingly presenting falsehood as fact. The Quran teaches that fabricating untruths, even in what may seem like small matters, is a sign of a weakness in one’s faith. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Nahal (16), Verse 105: 

‘ Indeed, those people that do not believe in the Signs (of the infinite truth) of Allah (Almighty), are the ones that invent falsehood, and they are the ones who are compulsive liars.‘ 

Lying is Only Permissible in Rare Cases 

The prophetic tradition teaches that truthfulness is the default and mandatory state for a believer. Lying is strictly forbidden, with only a few very specific, life-or-death exceptions, none of which include casual storytelling. 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, 1939, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Lying is not permissible except in three cases: when a man speaks to his wife to please her, in war, and in order to bring peace between people.’ 

Honesty as a Guiding Principle 

By helping your child to see that honesty is a core value in both your family and your faith, while still encouraging their creativity, you can nurture a healthy balance. They will learn over time to express their imagination in a joyful way, while always keeping truthfulness as their guiding principle.