Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 35913 — Scheming and deception in war

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Allah Almighty decreed on the blessed tongue of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that war is a matter of employing a stratagem. Indeed I am a warrior, and I speak about war." He said: "But when I say that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said something, then by Allah, it would be dearer to me to fall headlong from the sky than to say about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) what he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say."