What is the ruling on an imam who is obligated by the Awqaf (Endowments) to give specific lessons, but he is teaching in another field? Is it permissible for him to lie in this case?
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The questioner : ... and he is compelled to lie in it with the employees and the officials, meaning he is forced. "Your brother is not a liar" (if he is forced).
The Shaykh : ... considering you are an imam, or not?
The questioner : Yes, considering I am an employed imam. For example, we have His Excellency's curriculum for Da'wah (calling to Islam) during the curriculum of preaching and guidance. During a period of four months, I am responsible for preaching and guidance. Inheritance? They do not speak about inheritance. The arithmetic? These arithmetic issues require specialists.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : People who cannot comprehend this matter. Then, these are rare cases when they occur; they go to the judiciary to resolve them.
The Shaykh: Correct.
The questioner : In some matters, truly, like this matter of companies. What do people say about companies? They are not going to enter companies or anything. If one asks about this.
The Shaykh : ... it becomes so.
The questioner : Rare cases.
The Shaykh: But...
The questioner : Yes, or.
The Shaykh : ... especially, meaning for specific people.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : But we are obligated to write our report according to this curriculum, meaning that you study in Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and in 'Aqeedah (creed), and so on. And when you come to write this in your report, it is never accepted from you, never accepted from you. Rather, you may be punished with a specific punishment: salary deduction, a warning, a notice. You may be summoned: why are all your lessons in this way? So we, and they, by the indication of those responsible for us—not the ones who put the curriculum, no, but the direct responsible person, meaning the Director of Awqaf, for example, or the Supervisory Inspector—he says, "My brother, this is what is needed: the Assistant Director of Preaching and Guidance, or this is what the Director needs. So you write as is in the report so that the matter reaches them."
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : That you tell him, "O Shaykh, I swear to Allah I did not study in the mosques." I tell you, write, no problem, write. I accept lying, lying. Write, O Shaykh. What? By Allah, we are in a calamity in this matter. We are forced to write. By Allah, O Shaykh, I am writing.
The student : In our Shaykh, in matters.
The questioner : Meaning, I want to give you an example... wait, I will give you an example. My lessons, during a period, were all on the topic of Tawhid (the oneness of Allah), most of them. Meaning, when I am in my lessons, I focus on the topic of Tawhid and I write this in my report. By Allah, O our brothers, I was summoned by the Supervisory Inspector, now our Director in this... he wrote that the preacher so-and-so's lessons were all in Tawhid. He wrote to the Director. The Director summoned me, requesting that he summon me and investigate with me: why are your lessons in Tawhid? I said, "Glory be to Allah, am I committing a crime... in Tawhid? Is this a crime?" He said, "No, you must adhere to what? To the curriculum and guidance." I do not know, O our Shaykh, by Allah, meaning the one...
The Shaykh : Where is this milk from? From here.
The student : This is from Suwailih... Suwailih.
The questioner : Meaning, for example, among the matters, I was sometimes forced, for example, once I taught in this mosque. I have an excuse, I inform them of this matter. They say you taught. I say I did not teach. Write that you taught. Do not put "I did not teach" for me.
The student : What... is required...
The questioner : Hmm.
The student : ... the types required in the lessons.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : ... ordinary talk, meaning there is no...
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner : Meaning, speak to people, for example, in Surat al-Nur. You speak in it, of course, not all of it. I give you matters from it. You speak in every topic, he chooses for you something specific.
The student : ... .
Another student: My master, I can, of course, the lessons of Tawhid and the lessons of preaching and guidance take, meaning necessarily, you must speak in a part of them in Tafsir (exegesis), in a part of them in this, but not... not the topics.
Another student: There is a lot of milk.
The Shaykh : ... .
The student: In the name of Allah.
Another student: ... about inheritance, they say in... and in the bequest, and in inheritance, and... enter these in this way.
Another student: ... in inheritance... one comes to me and asks me, he says to me, "O Shaykh, how much is my father's inheritance, or my inheritance from my father, in the court?"
Another student: Ah, the inheritance is from there.
Another student: Meaning, the people now do not know how to perfect the prayer. I go to teach in inheritance.
Another student: ... we know...
Another student: May Allah be pleased with you, O Muhammad.
Another student: ...
Another student: Of course.
Another student: I finish this, he asks what...
Another student: But if you did not do as I advised you... you cut... and thus they blame us.
Another student: ...
Another student: ...
The questioner : In Na'our, on the occasion of the Hijrah (Migration).
The Shaykh : They chose you three.
The questioner : We three were chosen intentionally, and they sent a guard with us.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : Meaning, one submits a report on us to see what we are saying.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : The Assistant Director and he brought us a bus. We came. What did we do? I was speaking about weak and fabricated narrations of the Hijrah (Migration), and I spoke about the lessons learned from them, and so on. So we prepared ourselves for this matter. We spoke. After we finished, the first one to object to us was the imam of the mosque. This imam of the mosque is Egyptian. He said, "What is 'Al-'Ankabut' (The Spider)? All its narrations are not authentic, and 'Al-Hamamatayn' (The Two Doves) and 'Tala'a al-Badr 'Alayna' (The Moon Rose Upon Us)..." We spoke with him. The man who went with us, on the basis that he would convey news to the Director, he sent him to watch us. He was good. He understood our situation completely, meaning.
The Shaykh : Well, praise be to Allah.
The questioner : Yes, I do not know by one way or another, the imam of the mosque went and reached the Ministry.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : From the Ministry, they told him, let the people submit a formal complaint.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : Meaning... the people returned, they submitted a formal complaint, and they brought [investigators] to investigate with us. Hahaha. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) benefited us by the fact that the Assistant Director who went to watch us, he was appointed to watch us, testified for us.
The Shaykh : Yes, he testified a good testimony.
The questioner : He testified a good testimony. He said, "We, Shaykh 'Abd al-Hamid Abu Ahmad, from Marka, yes. And he spoke that there are narrations like this and narrations like this, that people spoke about them, meaning they did not bring anything new after the investigation and go and come and so on."
The student : The Directorate or the Ministry.
The questioner : The Ministry.
The student : They put their eyes on him that he is a Salafi and they restrict him.
Another student: When I was doing [it] and there would be a problem and an investigation with me, the first question is, "Do you have Taysir (a simplified book) with you?" He said, "Do you have Taysir with you?" If I have it, the problem intensifies.
Another student: Because it is known, ah, a teacher has it from the perspective of observation.
Another student: No, they know we are always together. The Director's first question he asks the supervisor, he tells him, "Taysir."
The Shaykh : ... the master of the people is their servant.
The student : Hahaha. May Allah reward you with good. O Allah, feed the one who fed us and give drink to the one who gave us drink.
The Shaykh : ... considering you are an imam, or not?
The questioner : Yes, considering I am an employed imam. For example, we have His Excellency's curriculum for Da'wah (calling to Islam) during the curriculum of preaching and guidance. During a period of four months, I am responsible for preaching and guidance. Inheritance? They do not speak about inheritance. The arithmetic? These arithmetic issues require specialists.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : People who cannot comprehend this matter. Then, these are rare cases when they occur; they go to the judiciary to resolve them.
The Shaykh: Correct.
The questioner : In some matters, truly, like this matter of companies. What do people say about companies? They are not going to enter companies or anything. If one asks about this.
The Shaykh : ... it becomes so.
The questioner : Rare cases.
The Shaykh: But...
The questioner : Yes, or.
The Shaykh : ... especially, meaning for specific people.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : But we are obligated to write our report according to this curriculum, meaning that you study in Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and in 'Aqeedah (creed), and so on. And when you come to write this in your report, it is never accepted from you, never accepted from you. Rather, you may be punished with a specific punishment: salary deduction, a warning, a notice. You may be summoned: why are all your lessons in this way? So we, and they, by the indication of those responsible for us—not the ones who put the curriculum, no, but the direct responsible person, meaning the Director of Awqaf, for example, or the Supervisory Inspector—he says, "My brother, this is what is needed: the Assistant Director of Preaching and Guidance, or this is what the Director needs. So you write as is in the report so that the matter reaches them."
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : That you tell him, "O Shaykh, I swear to Allah I did not study in the mosques." I tell you, write, no problem, write. I accept lying, lying. Write, O Shaykh. What? By Allah, we are in a calamity in this matter. We are forced to write. By Allah, O Shaykh, I am writing.
The student : In our Shaykh, in matters.
The questioner : Meaning, I want to give you an example... wait, I will give you an example. My lessons, during a period, were all on the topic of Tawhid (the oneness of Allah), most of them. Meaning, when I am in my lessons, I focus on the topic of Tawhid and I write this in my report. By Allah, O our brothers, I was summoned by the Supervisory Inspector, now our Director in this... he wrote that the preacher so-and-so's lessons were all in Tawhid. He wrote to the Director. The Director summoned me, requesting that he summon me and investigate with me: why are your lessons in Tawhid? I said, "Glory be to Allah, am I committing a crime... in Tawhid? Is this a crime?" He said, "No, you must adhere to what? To the curriculum and guidance." I do not know, O our Shaykh, by Allah, meaning the one...
The Shaykh : Where is this milk from? From here.
The student : This is from Suwailih... Suwailih.
The questioner : Meaning, for example, among the matters, I was sometimes forced, for example, once I taught in this mosque. I have an excuse, I inform them of this matter. They say you taught. I say I did not teach. Write that you taught. Do not put "I did not teach" for me.
The student : What... is required...
The questioner : Hmm.
The student : ... the types required in the lessons.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : ... ordinary talk, meaning there is no...
The Shaykh : May Allah reward you with good.
The questioner : Meaning, speak to people, for example, in Surat al-Nur. You speak in it, of course, not all of it. I give you matters from it. You speak in every topic, he chooses for you something specific.
The student : ... .
Another student: My master, I can, of course, the lessons of Tawhid and the lessons of preaching and guidance take, meaning necessarily, you must speak in a part of them in Tafsir (exegesis), in a part of them in this, but not... not the topics.
Another student: There is a lot of milk.
The Shaykh : ... .
The student: In the name of Allah.
Another student: ... about inheritance, they say in... and in the bequest, and in inheritance, and... enter these in this way.
Another student: ... in inheritance... one comes to me and asks me, he says to me, "O Shaykh, how much is my father's inheritance, or my inheritance from my father, in the court?"
Another student: Ah, the inheritance is from there.
Another student: Meaning, the people now do not know how to perfect the prayer. I go to teach in inheritance.
Another student: ... we know...
Another student: May Allah be pleased with you, O Muhammad.
Another student: ...
Another student: Of course.
Another student: I finish this, he asks what...
Another student: But if you did not do as I advised you... you cut... and thus they blame us.
Another student: ...
Another student: ...
The questioner : In Na'our, on the occasion of the Hijrah (Migration).
The Shaykh : They chose you three.
The questioner : We three were chosen intentionally, and they sent a guard with us.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : Meaning, one submits a report on us to see what we are saying.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : The Assistant Director and he brought us a bus. We came. What did we do? I was speaking about weak and fabricated narrations of the Hijrah (Migration), and I spoke about the lessons learned from them, and so on. So we prepared ourselves for this matter. We spoke. After we finished, the first one to object to us was the imam of the mosque. This imam of the mosque is Egyptian. He said, "What is 'Al-'Ankabut' (The Spider)? All its narrations are not authentic, and 'Al-Hamamatayn' (The Two Doves) and 'Tala'a al-Badr 'Alayna' (The Moon Rose Upon Us)..." We spoke with him. The man who went with us, on the basis that he would convey news to the Director, he sent him to watch us. He was good. He understood our situation completely, meaning.
The Shaykh : Well, praise be to Allah.
The questioner : Yes, I do not know by one way or another, the imam of the mosque went and reached the Ministry.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : From the Ministry, they told him, let the people submit a formal complaint.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : Meaning... the people returned, they submitted a formal complaint, and they brought [investigators] to investigate with us. Hahaha. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) benefited us by the fact that the Assistant Director who went to watch us, he was appointed to watch us, testified for us.
The Shaykh : Yes, he testified a good testimony.
The questioner : He testified a good testimony. He said, "We, Shaykh 'Abd al-Hamid Abu Ahmad, from Marka, yes. And he spoke that there are narrations like this and narrations like this, that people spoke about them, meaning they did not bring anything new after the investigation and go and come and so on."
The student : The Directorate or the Ministry.
The questioner : The Ministry.
The student : They put their eyes on him that he is a Salafi and they restrict him.
Another student: When I was doing [it] and there would be a problem and an investigation with me, the first question is, "Do you have Taysir (a simplified book) with you?" He said, "Do you have Taysir with you?" If I have it, the problem intensifies.
Another student: Because it is known, ah, a teacher has it from the perspective of observation.
Another student: No, they know we are always together. The Director's first question he asks the supervisor, he tells him, "Taysir."
The Shaykh : ... the master of the people is their servant.
The student : Hahaha. May Allah reward you with good. O Allah, feed the one who fed us and give drink to the one who gave us drink.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.