Chapter on Explaining What Is Permissible of Lying: Know that lying, though its origin is forbidden, is permissible in some circumstances under conditions that I have clarified in my book *Al-Adhkar*.
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The reader: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
He said, may Allah have mercy on him: “Chapter on Explaining What Is Permissible of Lying. Know that lying, though its origin is forbidden, is permissible in some circumstances under conditions that I have clarified in my book *Al-Adhkar*. The summary of this is that speech is a means to objectives. Therefore, any praiseworthy objective that can be achieved without lying makes lying forbidden in that case. If it cannot be achieved except by lying, then lying is permissible. Then, if achieving that objective is permissible, lying is permissible; and if it is obligatory, lying is obligatory. If a Muslim hides from an oppressor who wants to kill him or take his wealth, and a person is asked about him, it is obligatory to lie by hiding him. Likewise, if he has a deposit with him and an oppressor wants to take it, it is obligatory to lie by hiding it. The safest course in all of this is to use *tawriyah*. The meaning of *tawriyah* is that one intends with his expression a correct objective in which he is not lying relative to that objective...”
The Shaykh : a liar
The reader: “...he is not lying relative to that objective, even if he is lying in the apparent wording and relative to what the addressee understands. If he leaves off *tawriyah* and uses the plain expression of lying, it is not forbidden in this case.
The scholars cited as evidence for the permissibility of lying in this case the hadith of Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) that she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:Sahih al-Bukhari 2692 It is agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Muslim added in a narration: Umm Kulthum said: Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 385 “
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
We have previously mentioned that lying is forbidden, and that some of it is a major sin among the major sins, such as lying about Allah and His Messenger.
The author mentioned in this chapter that lying is permissible sometimes if it is for a great and significant benefit, and that lying may become obligatory if it involves repelling harm and injustice. An example of repelling harm and injustice is when an oppressor wants to kill a person who is protected by law. This protected person hides from the oppressor, and you know his location, you know where he is. This oppressor who wants to kill him without right asks you, “Where is so-and-so? Is so-and-so here?” You say, “No, so-and-so is not here,” and you know he is there. There is no harm in this; rather, it is obligatory to save the protected person from destruction. Saving the protected person from destruction is obligatory, and whatever is necessary to complete an obligation is itself obligatory. However, it is better to use *tawriyah*, meaning you intend a correct meaning that contains no lie, even if the apparent wording is a lie. For example, if this oppressor says, “Is so-and-so here?” you say, “He is not here,” and you point to a specific place where he is not.
It is also mentioned that Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) was approached by a man asking about one of the students: “Where is so-and-so?” Imam Ahmad said, “So-and-so is not here, and what is so-and-so doing here?” while touching his hand, meaning he is not in his hand, and what is in his hand is not there.
This is *tawriyah*. For example, if this oppressor who wants to kill this person without right comes to you and asks, “Is so-and-so here?” you say, “No,” and you touch your hand with your other hand, meaning he is not in your hand. Or, for example, if a person insists on something from you and you do not want to give it to him because it would corrupt the money, you say, “By Allah, I have nothing in my hand,” and your hand has nothing in it, no dirhams or anything else. You say, “I have nothing in my hand,” and you are truthful, while he understands that you have nothing. Or, you may have a deposit for a person, and an oppressor comes and asks, “Where is so-and-so’s deposit?” meaning a person who entrusted you with a trust of dirhams, saying, “Keep this for me.” An oppressor comes wanting to take these dirhams. He comes to you and says, “Where is the deposit that so-and-so gave you? Give it to me.” You say, “By Allah, I have no deposit for him. By Allah, I have no deposit for him.” You interpret this by intending with your words, “By Allah, I have no deposit for him,” to mean, “By Allah, the one for whom I have a deposit is not him.” You make *ma* (nothing) mean *alladhi* (the one who), and you are truthful: the one for whom you have a deposit is so-and-so, but the addressee understands that *ma* is negative and that he has no deposit with you.
The conclusion is that if there is injustice and a person wants to repel it and lies, there is no harm in it. However, the better and more preferable course is to use *tawriyah*, meaning to intend a correct meaning that contains no lie, while the addressee thinks it is a lie.
Likewise, if it is for a great benefit, such as lying in war. Lying in war is not harmful because it involves a great benefit. For example, if the enemy’s spies come and ask, “Is the army large? Does it have equipment? Is it strong?” you say, “Yes, it is a large and great army with equipment,” even if you are lying. There is no harm in this because it involves a great benefit, which is instilling fear in the hearts of the enemies.
Likewise, reconciliation between people. A person comes to you who has been told that another person is backbiting and cursing him. He comes to you and says, “I heard that so-and-so said such and such about you.” You say, “He never said anything about you.” There is no harm in this because it involves reconciliation between people.
Likewise, from the benefits is a man’s speech to his wife and a woman’s speech to her husband in what promotes affection and love. For example, he says to her, “You are precious to me. You are dearer to me than all other women,” and the like of that, even if he is lying, but in order to instill affection, and the benefit requires this.
The important point is that lying is obligatory if it is to save a protected person from destruction or to protect a protected person’s wealth from loss. It is permissible if it is for a great benefit. Nevertheless, the better course is to use *tawriyah*, making the speech a *tawriyah* so that one is safe from lying. And success is from Allah.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
He said, may Allah have mercy on him: “Chapter on Explaining What Is Permissible of Lying. Know that lying, though its origin is forbidden, is permissible in some circumstances under conditions that I have clarified in my book *Al-Adhkar*. The summary of this is that speech is a means to objectives. Therefore, any praiseworthy objective that can be achieved without lying makes lying forbidden in that case. If it cannot be achieved except by lying, then lying is permissible. Then, if achieving that objective is permissible, lying is permissible; and if it is obligatory, lying is obligatory. If a Muslim hides from an oppressor who wants to kill him or take his wealth, and a person is asked about him, it is obligatory to lie by hiding him. Likewise, if he has a deposit with him and an oppressor wants to take it, it is obligatory to lie by hiding it. The safest course in all of this is to use *tawriyah*. The meaning of *tawriyah* is that one intends with his expression a correct objective in which he is not lying relative to that objective...”
The Shaykh : a liar
The reader: “...he is not lying relative to that objective, even if he is lying in the apparent wording and relative to what the addressee understands. If he leaves off *tawriyah* and uses the plain expression of lying, it is not forbidden in this case.
The scholars cited as evidence for the permissibility of lying in this case the hadith of Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) that she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say:
He who makes peace between the people by inventing good information or saying good things, is not a liar.
ليس الكذاب الذي يصلح بين الناس فينمي خيرا أو يقول خيراUmm Kulthum, the daughter of 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt, reported that she heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Someone who makes peace between people by saying something good or relates something good is not a liar."
ولم أسمعه يرخص في شيء مما يقول الناس إلا في ثلاث تعني الحرب والإصلاح بين الناس وحديث الرجل امرأته وحديث المرأة زوجهاThe Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
We have previously mentioned that lying is forbidden, and that some of it is a major sin among the major sins, such as lying about Allah and His Messenger.
The author mentioned in this chapter that lying is permissible sometimes if it is for a great and significant benefit, and that lying may become obligatory if it involves repelling harm and injustice. An example of repelling harm and injustice is when an oppressor wants to kill a person who is protected by law. This protected person hides from the oppressor, and you know his location, you know where he is. This oppressor who wants to kill him without right asks you, “Where is so-and-so? Is so-and-so here?” You say, “No, so-and-so is not here,” and you know he is there. There is no harm in this; rather, it is obligatory to save the protected person from destruction. Saving the protected person from destruction is obligatory, and whatever is necessary to complete an obligation is itself obligatory. However, it is better to use *tawriyah*, meaning you intend a correct meaning that contains no lie, even if the apparent wording is a lie. For example, if this oppressor says, “Is so-and-so here?” you say, “He is not here,” and you point to a specific place where he is not.
It is also mentioned that Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) was approached by a man asking about one of the students: “Where is so-and-so?” Imam Ahmad said, “So-and-so is not here, and what is so-and-so doing here?” while touching his hand, meaning he is not in his hand, and what is in his hand is not there.
This is *tawriyah*. For example, if this oppressor who wants to kill this person without right comes to you and asks, “Is so-and-so here?” you say, “No,” and you touch your hand with your other hand, meaning he is not in your hand. Or, for example, if a person insists on something from you and you do not want to give it to him because it would corrupt the money, you say, “By Allah, I have nothing in my hand,” and your hand has nothing in it, no dirhams or anything else. You say, “I have nothing in my hand,” and you are truthful, while he understands that you have nothing. Or, you may have a deposit for a person, and an oppressor comes and asks, “Where is so-and-so’s deposit?” meaning a person who entrusted you with a trust of dirhams, saying, “Keep this for me.” An oppressor comes wanting to take these dirhams. He comes to you and says, “Where is the deposit that so-and-so gave you? Give it to me.” You say, “By Allah, I have no deposit for him. By Allah, I have no deposit for him.” You interpret this by intending with your words, “By Allah, I have no deposit for him,” to mean, “By Allah, the one for whom I have a deposit is not him.” You make *ma* (nothing) mean *alladhi* (the one who), and you are truthful: the one for whom you have a deposit is so-and-so, but the addressee understands that *ma* is negative and that he has no deposit with you.
The conclusion is that if there is injustice and a person wants to repel it and lies, there is no harm in it. However, the better and more preferable course is to use *tawriyah*, meaning to intend a correct meaning that contains no lie, while the addressee thinks it is a lie.
Likewise, if it is for a great benefit, such as lying in war. Lying in war is not harmful because it involves a great benefit. For example, if the enemy’s spies come and ask, “Is the army large? Does it have equipment? Is it strong?” you say, “Yes, it is a large and great army with equipment,” even if you are lying. There is no harm in this because it involves a great benefit, which is instilling fear in the hearts of the enemies.
Likewise, reconciliation between people. A person comes to you who has been told that another person is backbiting and cursing him. He comes to you and says, “I heard that so-and-so said such and such about you.” You say, “He never said anything about you.” There is no harm in this because it involves reconciliation between people.
Likewise, from the benefits is a man’s speech to his wife and a woman’s speech to her husband in what promotes affection and love. For example, he says to her, “You are precious to me. You are dearer to me than all other women,” and the like of that, even if he is lying, but in order to instill affection, and the benefit requires this.
The important point is that lying is obligatory if it is to save a protected person from destruction or to protect a protected person’s wealth from loss. It is permissible if it is for a great benefit. Nevertheless, the better course is to use *tawriyah*, making the speech a *tawriyah* so that one is safe from lying. And success is from Allah.