Ruling on saying that life is a lie

Praise be to Allah.

Lying means saying something that is contrary to reality, but life is something seen and known, so how can it be described as a lie? If the one who says that meant that life is transient and is the enjoyment of delusion, and it is filled with troubles and problems, and that its pleasures are short lived, and that man lives life with great hope and wishes, but then he may lose the dearest people in his life, such as his wife, child or friend, and so on, then this is true. Life is described in similar terms in the Book of Allah, as He, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): {And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion?} [Aal ‘Imraan 3:185].

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The truest word ever uttered by a poet is the words of Labeed: Everything apart from Allah is in vain.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (3841) and Muslim (2256).

Or he may have meant thereby to express discontent and disappointment with life, and objection to what was decreed for him in it. This is a serious matter, because life has no control over anything, so his discontent and resentment, in reality, form an objection to his Lord. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says: ‘The son of Adam offends Me. He inveighs against time (ad-dahr), but I am time, I alternate the night and day.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (4826) and Muslim (2246). According to a report narrated by Muslim: “Do not curse time (ad-dahr), for Allah is time.”

Based on that, you should look at what this person meant when he said those words. However, whatever the case, life is not a lie in the true sense of the word, because anything that can be seen and experienced cannot be a lie.  So a lie has to do with what you tell of news, whereas life is something tangible and real.

And Allah knows best.