Lying (kadhib)

In the lexicon kadhib is reporting a thing contrary to what it is, whether intentionally or by mistake, and the jurists keep that sense ⁸. It differs from tazwir, which is embellishing a thing and describing it against its reality and can happen in word or deed, and from iftira', which is inventing and is used only for corruption ^{8 1}.

The rule is prohibition by the Qur'an, the Sunna and the consensus of the community; it is among the worst sins. A report of Ibn Mas'ud says that truth leads to righteousness and lying leads to wickedness ¹. Lying may be permitted or obligatory depending on its aim: any good aim that can be reached without lying forbids lying; if it cannot, lying is allowed; and if the aim is itself obligatory, lying is obligatory too, as when a Muslim's blood is protected from a tyrant who seeks him ¹.

Lying is permitted where a war's aim, the reconciliation of people, or winning over a wronged person cannot be reached without it, but one should avoid it as far as possible, since opening the door to it may lead to more than necessity requires. The report of Umm Kulthum names the exceptions of war, reconciliation between people, and a husband and wife speaking to each other ². A person seized by a tyrant who asks about his property may deny it, and one asked by a ruler about a sin between himself and God may deny it, in line with the hadith that whoever has committed such a thing should cover himself with God's covering ^{2 3}. When truth and lying conflict, one weighs the harms: if the harm of truth is graver in the law, lying is allowed; if in doubt about the need, the rule is prohibition ². One group holds that lying is never allowed and reads the reports as allusion and indirect speech ³.

Lying about God or His Messenger is a major sin with none greater, based on verses in Surat al-An'am and Surat al-Zumar and on the hadith "whoever lies about me deliberately, let him take his seat in the Fire" ^{3 4}. Some later scholars say deliberate lying about God or His Messenger to make lawful what is forbidden, or the reverse, is plain unbelief ³. Al-Nawawi holds that narrating a forged hadith to one who knows it is forged is forbidden. A narrator should say "the Messenger said" only of a sound or good report, and use a weaker form for a weak one ⁴.

The law warns against false dream reports. Al-Qurtubi says that lying about a dream is lying about God, who is held to have shown what was not shown, and so the sin is grave ⁵. A hadith says whoever claims a dream falsely will be required on the Day of Resurrection to tie two grains of barley together, which he cannot do ⁵.

It is a major sin to claim descent from someone other than one's father, or to claim a son who is not one's own, knowing it is false, on the basis of the hadith "do not turn away from your fathers; whoever turns from his father has disbelieved." Al-Nawawi reads the disbelief as disbelief in gratitude, or as making it lawful ⁶. Denying a child's descent while knowing it is true carries the same threat ⁶.

Lying in a profit-sharing sale and hiding a defect are common faults of the markets; whoever falsely says he bought an item for a given price and gained a given sum is a transgressor, and one who knows the truth must tell the buyer ⁶. A ruler who deceives or lies to his subjects commits a major sin, on the hadith of the lying king and the hadith of Ma'qil ibn Yasar on a leader who dies deceiving his subjects. Al-Qadi Iyad says a leader who betrays his trust, by failing to protect the religion and worldly interests of the people, has deceived them ^{6 7}.

The law forbids narrating everything one hears, on the hadith "it is enough of a lie for a man to narrate everything he hears." Lying needs no intent to be a lie, but intent is needed for it to be a sin ^{7 9}.

Some early scholars held that allusions give a way out of lying. This applies in necessity; without need, neither allusion nor direct lying is allowed, though allusion is lighter ⁹. The example given is Mu'adh ibn Jabal, who told his wife that he had a watcher ("daghit", meaning a keeper) with him, meaning God ⁹. Allusion is allowed for a light purpose, such as cheering someone with a joke, as in the report of the old woman and the report of Anas on the young camel ^{9 10}.

Lying in jest is forbidden like lying elsewhere, on the hadith "a servant will not have full faith until he gives up lying in jest"; the Prophet ﷺ said he joked and said only what is true ⁴. One must also beware of lying in play with children: the hadith of Abd Allah ibn Amir says the Prophet told a mother who promised a child something and did not give it that she would have written a lie against herself ⁴.