Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Lying and Deception

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Taqiyya (تقي), also spelt Taqiya / Tuqya / Taqqiyah, is known as lying for Islam. While many claim it is only practiced within Shi'ite Islam, it is also mentioned in many Sunni hadith and by many of their Islamic scholars.

Taqqiya

The following excerpts are from The Mosque Exposed by Sam Solomon, a former imam and Islamic lawyer who converted to Christianity and is now residing in the UK, and E. Alamaqdisi, a prolific writer and debater, and a regular contributor to many Internet sites on the complex subject of Islam and its teachings. They also wrote Modern Day Trojan Horse: Al-Hijra, The Islamic Doctrine of Immigration, Accepting Freedom or Imposing Islam?

Despite the overtly cruel, harsh and intolerant Qur'anic views towards the 'others,' namely Jews and Christians, there are injunctions in the Qur'an that enable the Islamic community to disguise, play down, and, when necessary, deny both the intensity and validity of these anti-Semitic and anti-Christian teachings of its religious system.[1]
[Takiyya] permeates almost all the activities and dealings of Muslims within non-Muslim societies...[1]
Takiyya means "caution, fear, or disguise." It permits the suspension, as the need arises, of almost any or all religious requirements--including a total denial of faith--when fearing threat, injury or compulsion of any kind in a non-Muslim society, or even in a Muslim society.[1]

Kitman

Kitman is close to Taqqiya but rather than outright dissimulation, it consists in telling only part of the truth, with “mental reservation” justifying the omission of the rest (adjustment, deception etc, anything short of a full-blown lie). For example when a Muslim maintains that “jihad” really means “a spiritual struggle” and fails to add that this particular definition is an 11th century invention that originated from a fabricated hadith which is universally rejected by Islamic scholars, he misleads by holding back the true violent nature of jihad, and is therefore practicing “kitman.” Another example would be the insistence of a Muslim apologist that “of course” there is the freedom of conscience in Islam, followed by quoting the Qur’anic verse “There shall be no compulsion in religion.” The impression given is false, for there has been no mention of the Islamic doctrine of abrogation, or naskh.

Conditions to lie set by Muhammad

In his Sira, Muhammad authorized lying to improve the chances of successful assassinations, for example in the case of Shaaban Ibn Khalid al-Hazly and Bin Kaab.

Muhammad said: "Lying is wrong, except in three things: the lie of a man to his wife to make her content with him; a lie to an enemy, for war is deception; or a lie to settle trouble between people" [Ahmad, 6.459. H]
Humaid b. 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Auf reported that his mother Umm Kulthum daughter of 'Uqba b. Abu Mu'ait, and she was one amongst the first emigrants who pledged allegiance to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), as saying that she heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A liar is not one who tries to bring reconciliation amongst people and speaks good (in order to avert dispute), or he conveys good. Ibn Shihab said he did not hear that exemption was granted in anything what the people speak as lie but in three cases: in battle, for bringing reconciliation amongst persons and the narration of the words of the husband to his wife, and the narration of the words of a wife to her husband (in a twisted form in order to bring reconciliation between them).

See also Raymond Ibrahim's article for the Middle East Quarterly, Winter 2010: How Taqiyya Alters Islam's Rules of War

Qur'an verses about Taqqiyah

A Muslim does not have to maintain his oath (faith) as long as what's in his heart is true
Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah.
Any one who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters Unbelief,- except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in Faith - but such as open their breast to Unbelief, on them is Wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful Penalty..

Quran 77:38 and Quran 9:5 allows the Muslim to use any stratagem. A common Muslim defense is that this applies 'only in war' However as has been demonstrated, Muslims are always at war. Considering that non-believers can not be friends with Muslims. Therefore any relations can only be governed by enmity or truce. Also, Considering the Muslims are allowed to break a truce whenever they choose without prior warning (very dishonourable conduct) as per Treaties, I would have to argue that Muslims are constantly at war.

Explanation of Qur'an verses about Taqqiya (Sunni Scholar)

According to Ibn Kathir (d. 1373) and the hadith, Surah al-Imran 3:28 mentions Taqqiya.

(unless you indeed fear a danger from them) meaning, except those believers who in some areas or times fear for their safety from the disbelievers. In this case, such believers are allowed to show friendship to the disbelievers outwardly, but never inwardly. For instance, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda' said, "We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them. Al-Bukhari said that Al-Hasan said, "The Tuqyah is allowed until the Day of Resurre ction. Allah said,

According to Al-Suyuti (d. 1505) Quran, Surah al-Imran 3:28 mentions Taqqiya.

Let not the believers take the disbelievers as patrons, rather than, that is, instead of, the believers — for whoever does that, that is, [whoever] takes them as patrons, does not belong to, the religion of, God in anyway — unless you protect yourselves against them, as a safeguard (tuqātan, ‘as a safeguard’, is the verbal noun from taqiyyatan), that is to say, [unless] you fear something, in which case you may show patronage to them through words, but not in your hearts: this was before the hegemony of Islam and [the dispensation] applies to any individual residing in a land with no say in it.
Tafsir al-Jalalayn
Tafsir Al-Suyuti

Hadiths related to lying

General Lying
The following seems to say that a person can knowingly get two of his friends to lie about the consent given by a woman and the marriage will be upheld. So if she turns him down, all he needs to do is get two friends to lie and she will be his wife legally:

Narrated Abu Haraira:
Allah's Apostle said, "A lady slave should not be given in marriage until she is consulted, and a virgin should not be given in marriage until her permission is granted." The people said, "How will she express her permission?" The Prophet said, "By keeping silent (when asked her consent)." Some people said, "If a man, by playing a trick, presents two false witnesses before the judge to testify that he has married a matron with her consent and the judge confirms his marriage, and the husband is sure that he has never married her (before), then such a marriage will be considered as a legal one and he may live with her as husband."

For more accuracy in translation, the Arabic for the above hadith is:

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ عَنْ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ عَنْ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ عَنْ ذَكْوَانَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْبِكْرُ تُسْتَأْذَنُ قُلْتُ إِنَّ الْبِكْرَ تَسْتَحْيِي قَالَ إِذْنُهَا صُمَاتُهَا وَقَالَ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ إِنْ هَوِيَ رَجُلٌ جَارِيَةً يَتِيمَةً أَوْ بِكْرًا فَأَبَتْ فَاحْتَالَ فَجَاءَ بِشَاهِدَيْ زُورٍ عَلَى أَنَّهُ تَزَوَّجَهَا فَأَدْرَكَتْ فَرَضِيَتْ الْيَتِيمَةُ فَقَبِلَ الْقَاضِي شَهَادَةَ الزُّورِ وَالزَّوْجُ يَعْلَمُ بِبُطْلَانِ ذَلِكَ حَلَّ لَهُ الْوَطْءُ

The actual translation is:

“Abu Asem told us from Ibn Goreh, from the son of Abi Molaika, from Zokwan, from Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) that: Allah’s apostle (PBUH) said that a virgin’s consent is taken. I said: "A virgin feels shy". He said, ”Her silence is her consent.” And some people said that if a man falls in love with an orphan odalisque or a virgin and she refuses him. Then, he does a trick by bringing two false witnesses that he married her and the orphan realized it (the trick) and gave her consent and the judge acknowledged the false witnesses and the husband is aware of its falsehood, then is lawful for him to copulate with her.”

Sahih Bukhari 9:86:101 adds an extra clause "and then she attains the age of puberty", which we can see is not present in the Arabic version of the hadith and thus was most likely added by the translator Muhsin Khan himself.

For more Islamic sources and information about consent in marriage, see: Forced Marriage.


Lying in War

"Narrated Ka'b ibn Malik: When the Prophet (salla Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam) intended to go on an expedition, he always pretended to be going somewhere else, and he would say: War is deception."
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Khosrau will be ruined, and there will be no Khosrau after him, and Caesar will surely be ruined and there will be no Caesar after him, and you will spend their treasures in Allah's Cause." He called, "War is deceit'.

Muslims scholars and companions of Muhammad on Taqiyyah

"Speaking is a means to achieve objectives. If a praiseworthy aim is attainable through both telling the truth and lying, it is unlawful to accomplish through lying because there is no need for it. When it is possible to achieve such an aim by lying but not by telling the truth, it is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible (N:i.e. when the purpose of lying is to circumvent someone who is preventing one from doing something permissible), and obligatory to lie if the goal is obligatory... it is religiously precautionary in all cases to employ words that give a misleading impression...[2]
Reliance of the Traveler, p. 746 - 8.2 (Shaffi Fiqh)

Al-Tabari's (d. 923) famous tafsir (exegesis of the Koran) is a standard and authoritative reference work in the entire Muslim world. Regarding 3:28, he writes:

"If you [Muslims] are under their [infidels'] authority, fearing for yourselves, behave loyally to them, with your tongue, while harboring inner animosity for them. … Allah has forbidden believers from being friendly or on intimate terms with the infidels in place of believers — except when infidels are above them [in authority]. In such a scenario, let them act friendly towards them." Regarding 3:28,
Tabari

Ibn Kathir (second in authority only to Tabari) writes,

"Whoever at any time or place fears their [infidels'] evil may protect himself through outward show."[3]

As proof of this, he quotes Muhammad's close companion, Abu Darda, who said,

"We smile in the face of some people [non-Muslims] while our hearts curse them"[3]

Another companion, al-Hassan, said,

"Doing taqiyya is acceptable till the Day of Judgment [i.e., in perpetuity].[3]

A recent fatwa from Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid's Islam Q&A.

This verse [Adwa’ al-Bayaan, 2/98,99 ] explains all the verses quoted above which forbid taking the kaafirs as friends in general terms. What that refers to is in cases where one has a choice, but in cases of fear and taqiyah it is permissible to make friends with them, as much as is essential to protect oneself against their evil. That is subject to the condition that one’s faith should not be affected by that friendship and the one who is behaves in that manner out of necessity is not one who behaves in that manner out of choice. It may be understood from the apparent meaning of these verses that the one who deliberately takes the kuffaar as friends by choice and because he likes them, is one of them

According to eminent Islamic scholar Imam Ghazali, lying is acceptable if the goal is permissible:

When it is possible to achieve such an aim by lying but not by telling the truth, it is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible[4]

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References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Solomon, S. & E. Alamaqdisi. (2007) The Mosque Exposed. (p. 58). Charlottesville, VA: ANM Press.
  2. Taqiyah - Encyclopedia of the Middle East
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Prohibition of Supporting the Disbelievers - Tafsir Ibn Kathir
  4. Ahmad Ibn Naqib al-Misri, The Reliance of the Traveller, translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Amana publications, 1997, section r8.2, page 745.