Lying is condemned in Islam and counted a sin, but the rulings differ by situation: within set limits and conditions, the Sharia allows it to make peace between people, as a stratagem in war, or to keep love between husband and wife, and never to harm another's rights or to deceive for personal gain. The ruling was explained on Banglavision's religion page by Mufti Saiduzzaman Qasemi, muhaddith at Jamia Imam Bukhari in Uttara, Dhaka, answering a question on the Islamic rulings portal Muslim Bangla.
In a hadith narrated by Asma bint Yazid, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said lying is not permitted except in three places: expressing love to one's wife, matters of battle in war, and making peace between two brothers (Tirmidhi 1939, Abu Dawud 4921). In a hadith narrated by Umm Kulthum, the one who brings good words between two people to settle a quarrel is not a liar (Sahih Muslim 2056).
Imam al-Nawawi explained that between spouses this means expressions of love and promises that are not binding, while lying to deceive anyone or to seize their property is unlawful by consensus (Sharh Muslim 16/148).
Some scholars confine the allowance to the three cases in the hadith; others extend it to lawful aims that cannot be reached without it, provided no one is harmed, citing Ibn al-Jawzi and Ibn Qayyim (Zad al-Ma'ad 2/145). Islamic scholar Shaikh Ahmadullah says lying may be allowed to escape grave harm such as a threat to life, but not to avoid minor harm.
As a condition, al-Nawawi held that if a praiseworthy aim can be reached without lying, lying is forbidden; only where it cannot be reached otherwise is it permitted (Riyad al-Salihin 259).
Photo: Ferdous / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Source: Banglavision
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