Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … Ibrahim (alayhis salam) told three lies. Some shortsighted individuals have denied attributing this blessed hadith to the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) on the grounds that how could it be possible for Ibrahim (alayhis salam) to lie? The simple answer to this is that two of these matters are mentioned in the Noble Qur’an; so, should one then deny attributing these verses to Allah Ta’ala? The reality is that Ibrahim (alayhis salam) was always ready to make the greatest sacrifices for Allah Ta’ala. Even in the most severe trials, such as being commanded to slaughter his son or being thrown into the fire, Ibrahim (alayhis salam) never entertained the thought of weakness or despondency.

The main point is that concession (rukhsah) is a beauty of the Shari‘ah. There are hundreds of examples of this in our Shari‘ah. The Shari‘ah has always taught truthfulness and praised it, but for a greater benefit, the same Shari‘ah has, in certain situations, permitted saying something contrary to fact.

Another important point is that when legal rulings are being established through a prophet, not only is the faith, practical inclination, and relationship with Allah of that prophet considered, but also his followers are taken into account. The prophets and messengers have such strong faith and conviction in Allah Ta’ala that even the most severe test and the most difficult stage cannot cause them any hesitation or wavering. This is why our Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would sometimes leave off certain actions so that his followers would remain at ease. When legal rulings are being formulated, the temperaments and necessities of individuals are also considered. Among these necessities is, in certain specific incidents, the need to speak untruthfully or say something contrary to fact. In this, there is great ease for the Ummah, and the beauty of the Shari‘ah is also evident in that, in some matters, it has left no room for alternatives, but in others, it has preferred ease for individuals. See, as long as a sane adult retains consciousness, there is no concession for abandoning prayer (salah), but simply due to illness, the patient is given the concession to leave fasting (sawm), and if he is chronically ill, he is given a permanent concession from fasting, and in exchange, a small amount of expiation (fidya) is accepted. In exactly the same way, where the Shari‘ah has made speaking the truth obligatory, praised it, and declared it a quality of the righteous, it has also, on certain occasions, given concession for speaking untruthfully, so that the Ummah does not feel burdened.

The cases in which lying is permissible have already been mentioned in Hadith number (9897).