A man works in the army and sits with the shaykhs, and he is warned about it; is it permissible for him to lie if he is asked, out of fear of being dismissed from his job or imprisoned?

The questioner : This is a question from him, meaning another question. It says here: A man in the army is warned against sitting with the shaykhs, and then a report comes in that he sat with them.

The Shaykh : He sits.

The questioner : So here, when he is asked: If he admits it, he will face trouble; either he will be dismissed or he will be imprisoned. It is not an easy matter. This is for the same questioner, so he asks: Is it permissible for him to lie? He says: And sometimes, when they see that he has a habit of lying, they bring the mushaf and make him place his hand on the mushaf and swear by the Book of Allah. Is it permissible for him to swear falsely that he did not sit?

The Shaykh : No, no, it is not permissible.

The questioner : It is not permissible, and he must bear what befalls him? Allah is the Greatest!