The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 309
VII - Commencement of War with the Tribes of Najd and the Jews, the Marriage of Ḥaḍrat Fāṭimah and Ḥafṣah, and a Few Miscellaneous Incidents 309 deal with falsehood and treachery is something which Islām has very strictly forbidden. As such, the Holy Prophet sa would say, “In Islām, after associating partners with God and usurping the rights of parents, the third greatest sin is speaking a lie. ” 1 Furthermore, he would state that belief and cowardice can come together at one place; similarly, belief and miserliness can also come together at one place, but belief and falsehood can never come together at one place. 2 Then, with regards to deception and treachery, he remarked, “A person who commits treachery shall be subjected to the severe wrath of Allāh on the day of resurrection. ” 3 Hence, the kind of ٌ خُدْعَة which has been permitted in war is not actual deception or falsehood, rather, it infers the use of such tactics of war, which are employed to catch the enemy off-guard and defeat it. In some instances, this may seem to apparently resemble falsehood and deception, but in actuality it is not so. As such, the following Ḥadīth confirms our stance: ِ عَن ْ اُم ِّ كُلْثُوْم َ بِنْت ِ عَقَبَة َ بْن ِ اَبِی ْ مُعِیْط ٍ قَالَت ْ وَلَم ْ اَسْمَعْه ُ تَعْنِی النَّبِی َّ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه َ وَسَلَّم َ یُرَخِّص ُ فِی ْ شَیْء ٍ مِمَّا یَقُوْل ُ النَّاس ُ كِذْب اِلَّا فِی ْ ثَلَات ٍ اَلْحَرْب ِ وَالْاِصْلَاح ِ بَیْن النَّاس ِ وَحَدِیْث ِ الرَّجُل ِ امْرَاتَه ٗ وَحَدِیْث ِ الْمَرْاٴَة ِ زَوْجَھَا “ Ummi Kulthūm bint ‘Aqabah ra relates, ‘There are only three instances where I have found the Holy Prophet sa to permit the use of such statements, which do not actually constitute falsehood, but ordinary people may construe them as such. Firstly, war; secondly, when reconciling between two people who are at conflict with one another; thirdly, when a husband or wife say something, which is intended to please or gratify the other. ’” 4 This Ḥadīth leaves no room for doubt in the fact that the kind of ٌ خُدْعَة which is permitted in war, does not imply falsehood and deception. Rather, what is inferred are such things, which must be employed at times, as tactics of war, and which are considered to be lawful in every nation and in every religion. 1 Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Īmān, Bābu Bayānil-Kabā’iri Wa Akbarihā, Ḥadīth No. 259 2 Al-Muwaṭṭā, By Imām Mālik bin Anas, Kitābul-Kalāmi Wal-‘Īnati Wat-Tuqā, Bābu Mā Jā’a Fiṣ-Ṣidqi Wal-Kidhbi, Ḥadīth No. 1862 3 Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Jihādi Was-Siyar, Bābu Taḥrīmil-Ghadri, Ḥadīth No. 4538 4 Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Birri Waṣ-Ṣilati Wal-Ādāb, Bābu Taḥrīmil-Kidhbi. . . . . , Ḥadīth No. 6633