Chapter 24: Regarding Lies
Kizb (Lies) is such an evil, that people belonging to every
religion speak out against it. It is forbidden in every religion. Islam has placed
great emphasis regarding abstaining from this. It has been condemned in
numerous places in the Holy Qur’an, and the curse of Allah is upon those who tell
lies. The evils of (lies) have also been mentioned in the Hadith Shareef. With
regards to this, a few Ahadith are being presented.
Hadith 1: It is in
Sahih Bukhari and Muslim from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud رضی
اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی
اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم says, ‘Make honesty essential (upon you),
since truthfulness leads to good deeds and good deeds lead one towards the
corridors of Jannat (Paradise). A man continuously speaks the truth and he
continues to strive to be truthful, until by Allah, he is recorded as being a
Siddique[1]
(Honest Person). Abstain from lies, for lies leads to corruption and corruption
leads to the alleyway of hell, and man continuously tells lies and goes all-out
to lie, until by Allah, he is recorded as being a Kaz’zab[2]’.
Hadith 2: It is in
Tirmizi from Hazrat Anas رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that
Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘The person who leaves telling lies,
and it is futile (i.e. lies is something that one should leave), then a house
will be erected for him on the perimeters of Jannat and whosoever abstains from
disputing (quarrelling) even though he is on the right[3],
then a house will be erected for him in the middle of Jannat, and whosoever adorned
himself with good character, then for him, a house will be erected in the
elevated level of Jannat’.
Hadith 3: It is in
Tirmizi from ibn Umar رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that
Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said that when a person tells lies, then
through its foul odour, the Angels stay a mile away from him.
Hadith 4: Abu Dawud
reported from Sufyan bin Asad Hadhrami رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ. He says I heard Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم saying, ‘To say something which is a lie to
your Muslim brother, whereas he believes you to be telling the truth, is from
amongst the things which are regarded as a breach of trust.’
Hadith 5: Imam Ahmed
and Baihaqi have reported from Abu Umaama رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘The nature of a Muslim can consist of
all traits, except distrustfulness and lies.’ In other words, both these things
are contrary to Imaan. It is very important for a Momin (true believer) to stay
away from these (traits).
Hadith 6: Imam
Maalik and Baihaqi have reported from Safwaan bin Sulaym that the Prophet صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم was asked, ‘Can a believer be a coward?’ He صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘Yes’. It was then asked, ‘Can a
believer be a miser?’ He
صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّمreplied,
‘Yes.’ He صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم was asked, ‘Can a believer be a liar?’ He صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘No.’
Hadith 7: Imam Ahmed
reported from Hazrat Abu Bakr رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah
صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘Abstain from lies, since (telling a)
lie is contrary to Imaan.’
Hadith 8: Imam Ahmed
reported from Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah
صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘A servant does not become a true
believer unless he abstains from telling lies even when he is being humorous, and
(unless) he does not abstain from quarrelling, even though he may be right’.
Hadith 9: Imam
Ahmed, Tirmizi, Abu Dawud and Daarimi have reported on the authority of Bahz
bin Hakeem, from his father, who narrated from his grandfather that Rasoolullah
صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘May he be devastated, who speaks and
whilst doing so lies to amuse people (causing them to laugh). For him there is
devastation! For him there is devastation!’
Hadith 10: Baihaqi
reported from Abu Hurairah رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that Rasoolullah
صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘A person, who speaks only so that he
could amuse people, falls into hell at depth which is greater than the distance
between the sky and the earth. The amount of errors that are caused by the
tongue, are far more than the errors caused by the foot’.
Hadith 11: Abu Dawud
and Baihaqi reported from Abdullah ibn Aamir رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہ who says ‘Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم was present in our home and my mother
summoned me, (by saying), ‘Come, I will give you (something)’. He صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said,
‘what do you intend giving him?’ She said, ‘Dates’. He صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘If
you would not have given (him) anything, you would have been accountable for a
lie being recorded for you.’
Hadith 12: Baihaqi
reported from Abu Burza رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ that
Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی
علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘Telling lies causes the face to become black (dark) and
tale bearing causes torment in the grave.’
Hadith 13: It is in
Sahih Bukhari and Muslim from Umm-e-Kulthum رضی اللہ
تعالٰی عنہا that Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘That person is not a liar, who brings
peace between people, says good things, and delivers good words’. In other
words, he says good things on behalf of one person to another, even though that
person did not say it. For example (he says), he has conveyed Salaam to you and
he speaks highly of you.
Hadith 14: Tirmizi
reported from Asma bint Yazid رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہا that Rasoolullah
صلَّی اللہ
تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘Lies is not correct (appropriate)
except in three situations: (1) A man says something to please his wife; (2) to lie in a dispute;
and (3) to lie with the intention of bringing peace between people’.
Laws of Jurisprudence
Law: It is permissible to
lie in three situations. In other words, there is no sin in doing so. The first
situation is during war, since in this situation, it is done to deceive your
opponent (enemy) and this is permissible. Similarly, if a tyrant is intent on
being oppressive, then it is permissible to lie, to protect oneself from his
tyranny. The second situation is when there is a dispute between two Muslims
and one intends to bring peace between them. For example, if you say to one
that the other regards you as being a good person and he praises you, or to say
that he has conveyed salaam to you, and then to say similar words to the other
person as well, so that the animosity between the two becomes less, and peace
prevails between them. The third situation is to mention something to please
ones wife, which is contrary to the actual situation. [Alamgiri]
Law: ‘Tawriyah’[4],
in other words, the apparent meaning of the word is incorrect, but he has taken
another meaning to it, which is correct. To do this without need is not
permissible. An example of Tawriyah is this that you invited someone to join
you in a meal and He says that he has already eaten. The apparent meaning of
this is that he has already eaten the meal for the current time, but he means that
he has eaten yesterday. This is regarded as a lie.
Law: To practice Tawriyah
for the sake of preserving the truth is permissible. In other words, the Shafee[5]
became aware of the sale of a conjoined property at night and he is not able to
make people witness to it at that time, then in the morning, he can say this
before the witnesses, ‘I became aware of the sale at that time.’ The second
example is in the case where a girl starts menstruating at night and she
elected to hold herself back on the basis of Khayaar-e- Buloogh[6]
but there are no witnesses to this, then in the morning she can say to the
people, ‘I noticed blood at that time.’ [Raddul
Muhtar]
Law: It is haraam to tell
lies to obtain such an objective which can be obtained by telling the truth, as
well as by telling lies. If it can only be obtained by telling lies and not by
telling the truth, then in certain circumstances, to lie is also Mubah
(lawful), but in certain circumstances, it will be regarded as being Waajib.
For instance if a tyrant intends to kill an innocent person, or he intends to
harm him and he is hiding, due to fear and the tyrant asks someone regarding the
whereabouts of the (innocent) person, then he may say, ‘I do not know’, even
though he knows his whereabouts. Or if the entrusted item belonging to someone
is in his care and someone wishes to steal it and he asks where the entrusted
item is, then he (i.e. the one in whose care it is) has the right to reject it
and say, ‘His entrusted item is not with me.’ [Raddul
Muhtar]
Law: If someone committed
an immoral act in private and he is asked if he committed such an act, then he
may refuse and say that he did not do any such act, because it will be regarded
as a second sin, to disclose such an action before the people. Similarly, if
one is aware of any secret of a fellow Muslim brother, he has the right to
refuse disclosing it. [Raddul Muhtar]
Law: If telling the truth
will lead to disorder (rioting etc.) then, to lie even in such a situation is
permissible, and if telling lies will lead to disorder, then it is haraam. If
one is in doubt regarding whether telling the truth will lead to disorder or
telling lies will lead to disorder, then in such a situation, it is haraam to
lie. [Raddul Muhtar]
Law: The type of
exaggeration which is habitually common and people attribute it merely to
exaggeration only, and they do not take it in its literal context, does not
fall under the category of lies. In other words, if one says, ‘I came to
(visit) you a thousand times’ or‘I said this to you a thousand times’. In this
context, the figure of one thousand is not meant (to be correct), but it
generally refers to coming over many times or saying it many times. However,
such words will not be said when one only came over once or said something only
once. If one came over only once and then says that he came a thousand times
(i.e. meaning many times), then he is a liar. [Raddul
Muhtar]
Law: Ta’reedh[7]
(i.e. giving veiled references or hinting). Certain situations regarding
Ta’reedh, which are aimed at making peoples hearts happy and where a light
hearted moment is intended, is regarded as permissible. (An example of this is)
the statement of the Hadith where it is mentioned that ‘Old ladies won’t enter
Jannat’[8]
or ‘I will get you to sit on a baby camel’. [Raddul
Muhtar]
[1]
Siddique refers to a truly honest person. It is also the epithet
of honoured to the first Khalifa of Islam Hazrat Abu Bakr as Siddique رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ
[2] A Kaz’zab refers to a liar and the word Kizb means ‘lies.’
[3] It means that even though he is on the right, he still abstains
from a dispute.
[4]
Tawriyah can be better understood by the fact that it is the
formulation of Delphic ambiguous statements that make the person to be deceived,
in to believing that you are agreeing with him, when in fact, you are not.
[5] Shafee refers to the one possessing the right of pre-emption.
[6] Khayaar-e-Buloogh refers to the Option of puberty.
[7] Ta’reedh here refers to giving veiled references or hinting in
regards to something.
[8] Even though it does not mean that old ladies won’t enter Jannat,
the Prophet صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم
said this to an old lady in a light hearted
moment. What he meant was that when you enter Jannat, you will be young and not
old anymore. The reason for him صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم saying this was because when people enter into Jannat, they shall
be young and healthy and not old and weak.
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