اِعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْكَذبَ، وَإنْ كَانَ أَصْلُهُ مُحَرَّماً، فَيَجُوزُ في بَعْضِ الأحْوَالِ بشُرُوطٍ قد أَوْضَحْتُهَا في كتَاب: «الأذْكَارِ»، وَمُخْتَصَرُ ذلك: أَنَّ الكلامَ وسيلةٌ إلىٰ المقاصدِ، فَكُلُّ مَقْصُودٍ مَحْمُودٍ يُمْكِنُ تَحْصِيلُهُ بغَيْرِ الْكَذِبِ يَحْرُمُ الْكَذِبُ فيه، وَإنْ لَمْ يُمْكِنْ تَحْصِيلُهُ إلَّا بالكَذِبِ جاز الْكَذِبُ، ثمَّ إنْ كَانَ تحْصِيلُ ذلك المقْصُودِ مُبَاحاً كَانَ الْكَذِبُ مُباحاً، وَإنْ كانَ وَاجِباً كان الكذِبُ واجِباً. فإذا اخْتَفَىٰ مُسْلمٌ مِن ظالِمٍ يريد قَتْلَه، أَوْ أَخْذَ مالِه، وَأَخْفَىٰ مَالَه، وَسُئِلَ إنْسانٌ عنه، وَجَبَ الْكَذبُ بإخفائِه، وكذَا لو كانَ عِنْدَهُ وَدِيعَةٌ، وَأَرَادَ ظالِمٌ أَخْذَهَا، وَجَبَ الْكَذِبُ بإخفائها. والأحْوطُ في هذا كُلِّه أَنْ يُوَرِّيَ، ومعْنَىٰ التَوْرِيَةِ: أَنْ يَقْصِدَ بعِبَارَتِهِ مَقْصُوداً صَحِيحاً لَيْسَ هو كاذِباً بالنِّسْبَةِ إلَيْهِ، وإنْ كانَ كاذِباً في ظَاهِرِ اللَّفْظِ، وَبِالنِّسْبَةِ إلىٰ ما يَفْهَمُهُ المُخَاطَبُ، ولَوْ تَرَكَ التَّوْرِيَةَ وَأَطْلَقَ عِبَارَةَ الكَذِبِ، فَلَيْسَ بِحَرَامٍ في هذا الحَالِ.
Know that lying, although impermissible in principle, is permissible in some cases with conditions that I have underlined in my book Al-Adhkār. In a nutshell, speech is a means to achieve purposes, so if a good purpose can be achieved without lying, then it is impermissible to resort to lying to achieve it. But, if lying is the only way to achieve it, then it is permissible to lie in this case. Also, if achieving that purpose is permissible, then lying is permissible, and if it is obligatory, then lying to achieve it is obligatory as well. For example, if a Muslim is hiding from an oppressor who wants to kill him, or he hides his property from someone who wants to usurp it, then someone is asked about him or about his property, it is obligatory to lie in order to keep them hidden. The more prudent procedure here is to resort to Tawriyah, which is to say something which has more than one meaning and intend a meaning different from what the listener is likely to understand. But if a person chooses not to use Tawriyah and says untrue words, it is not prohibited in these situations.
وَاسْتَدَلَّ الْعُلَمَاءُ لِجَوَازِ الكَذِبِ في هذا الحَالِ بِحَدِيثِ أُمِّ كُلْثُومٍ رضي الله عنها أَنها سمعت رسولَ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقولُ: «لَيْسَ الكَذَّابُ الَّذي يُصلحُ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ، فَيَنْمِي خَيْراً أَو يقولُ خَيْراً». متفقٌ عليه.
Scholars use as evidence of the permissibility of lying in these situations the Hadīth of Um Kulthūm (may Allah be pleased with her) who reported that she heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “The liar is not the one who seeks reconciliation between people, conveying good (things) or saying good things.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
زاد مسلم في روايةٍ: قالتْ أُمُّ كُلْثُومٍ: وَلَمْ أَسْمَعْهُ يُرَخِّصُ في شَيْءٍ مِمَّا يَقُولُ النَّاسُ إلَّا في ثلاثٍ، تَعْني: الحَرْبَ، وَالإصْلاحَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ، وحَدِيثَ الرَّجُلِ امْرَأَتَهُ، وحَدِيثَ المَرْأَةِ زَوْجَهَا.
A narration of Muslim of the same Hadīth has the following addition: Um Kulthūm said: “I did not hear him allowing people to lie except in three cases: war, reconciliation between people, and what a man says to his wife and a woman to her husband.”
ينمي: يبلغ.
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1) مَن أصلح بين الناس، فأخبر بخلاف الواقع، فإنه لا يسمىٰ كاذباً.
1) If someone does not tell the truth with the aim of reconciling people, he is not considered a liar.
2) الكذب المذموم هو الذي تحصُل به مفسدة ومضرة، والكذب المباح هو الذي جاء وصفه في الشرع، وتحصُل به مصلحة ومنفعة شرعية.
2) Blameworthy lying is that which results in evil and harm. Permissible lying, however, is the one explained by the Islamic law and which brings about an interest and benefit that are permissible under the Shariah.