A4: Telling a lie is one of the major sins, whether one is joking or serious, for there is a severe threat against it; also there is a threat against the very practice of telling a lie jokingly; the Prophet (pbuh) said; “Woe to him who tells lies to people so as to make them laugh, woe to him, woe to him.” Any person who does this has to repeat his fast of that day, and has to repent to Allah of what he has done; but he does not have to atone for this because atonement, like major penalties (hudood), is warded off by any kind of doubt. And Allah knows best.