Mu'jam al-Saghir

Hadith Commentary:

For example, if there is discord between two people and, with the intention of reconciliation, one says, "He is your well-wisher," or "He praises you."

Qastallani rahimahullah has said that there is a concession for such a lie from which much benefit is expected.

In the narration of Imam Muslim, it is further mentioned that lying is permitted in three situations:
➊ In war,
➋ In reconciling between Muslims,
➌ To one's wife.

Some have also made analogies to other situations where there is some benefit (maslahah).

They say that lying is prohibited when it causes harm or when there is no benefit in it. Some have said that lying is prohibited in all circumstances, and in such situations, it is better to use equivocation (tawriyah). For example, to say to an oppressor, "I pray for you," while intending, "O Allah, forgive the Muslims." And in times of necessity, lying is unanimously permitted.

By necessity is meant the necessity of reconciliation as mentioned above, or lying to save oneself or someone else from the oppression of a tyrant. This is also one of the meanings of the hadith "Actions are only by intentions" (Innama al-a‘malu bil-niyyat).

Hadith Commentary:
Since the purpose of this lie is to avert evil and corruption, it will not be counted as a lie, even though in reality it is a lie.

In the narration of Sahih Muslim it is stated:
“There is no harm in speaking contrary to fact in three situations:
First, lying during war so that the enemy is deceived; second, saying something contrary to fact when reconciling between people; and third, a husband or wife lying to please one another.”
(Sahih Muslim, al-Birr wa al-Silah, Hadith: 6633(2605))

Apart from these, explicit lying is unlawful and a cause of curse.
(Fath al-Bari: 5/369)

Explanation:
1:
It is permissible to resort to good words and speak untruths for the sake of reconciliation and making peace among people.
This does not fall under the category of lying that has been condemned in the Qur’an and Hadith.
For example, saying to Zaid that “I heard Umar praising you,” and similar statements to Umar,
such a person is not a liar.
Rather, he is a benefactor to both of them,
and in the view of the Shari‘ah, he is counted among the righteous.

Benefits and Issues:
➊
If it becomes necessary to fabricate something in order to reconcile and make peace between Muslim brothers, one should not hesitate to do so.
This type of lie is not blameworthy.

➋
If a husband and wife say something to remove displeasure or, verbally, to express love to each other, it is permissible, so that their family life remains happy.

➌
It is also permissible to deceive the enemy.

Benefit:
It is established from this hadith that it is permissible to lie to one’s wife for the sake of benefit (maslahah); the Shari‘ah has granted permission for this. It is an experienced fact that in certain matters, for the purpose of reconciliation, one has to lie to one’s wife, so this lie is permissible. Similarly, it is also permissible to lie in order to reconcile between two people.