Can you lie to protect wealth or get it back from someone who has taken it unjustly?
Quran
Hadith
Islamic Text
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind
Short Answer
Yes, you can lie to protect wealth or get it back from someone who has taken it unjustly. Although lying is abhorrent in Islam, it is permitted in certain limited circumstances. Amongst them is a situation in which someone is trying to take your wealth unjustly.
Explanation
عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: لَمَّا افْتَتَحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَيْبَرَ قَالَ الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ عِلَاطٍ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، إِنَّ لِي بِمَكَّةَ مَالًا، وَإِنَّ لِي بِهَا أَهْلًا، وَإِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ آتِيَهُمْ، فَأَنَا فِي حِلٍّ إِنْ أَنَا نِلْتُ مِنْكَ، أَوْ قُلْتُ شَيْئًا؟ فَأَذِنَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يَقُولَ مَا شَاءَ
(Sayidina) Anas narrated that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ conquered Khaybar, al-Hajjaj bin Ilaat said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, indeed I have wealth and family in Mecca, and I want to come to them. So am I permitted to criticise you or say something. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ allowed him to say whatever he wanted. (Musnad Ahmad, 12409)
In the narration above the Sahaabi, al-Hajaj bin Ilaat, is given permission to lie to retrieve his wealth. Based upon this it will also be permitted to lie to protect wealth. However, in such circumstances lying should be avoided if there is another option. The narration above is authentic:
رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ، وَأَبُو يَعْلَى، وَالْبَزَّارُ، وَالطَّبَرَانِيُّ، وَرِجَالُهُ رِجَالُ الصَّحِيحِ. (مجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد)
It was narrated by Ahmad, Abu Ya’la, al-Bazzar, and al-Tabarani. The narrators are the narrators of al-Sahih. (Imam Noorud-deen al-Haythami 807H, Majma’ al-Zawaid).
Hanafi Imams
The Imams of the Hanafi Madhab looked at the various proofs in the Holy Quran and prophetic Sunnah and they concluded that it is permitted for a person to lie to protect wealth. This is because taking a person’s wealth unjustly is oppression and the Muslim is required to fight oppression.
الكذب، مباح لإحياء حقه، ولدفع الظلم عن نفسه. (المحيط البرهاني في الفقه النعماني)
Lying is permissible to retrieve one’s right and to ward off injustice from himself. (Imam Burhan al-Deen al-Bukhari 616H, al-Muheet al-Burhani).
In the following Nass (text) Imam Ibn Abideen explains that although it is permitted for a person to lie to protect wealth, it must only be done if there is no other way. A Muslim cannot take lying lightly. It is a grave matter and contradicts the fundamental nature of a Muslim. However, it is permitted in situations of necessity.
وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْكَذِبَ قَدْ يُبَاحُ وَقَدْ يَجِبُ وَالضَّابِطُ فِيهِ كَمَا فِي تَبْيِينِ الْمَحَارِمِ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنْ الْإِحْيَاءِ أَنَّ كُلَّ مَقْصُودٍ مَحْمُودٍ يُمْكِنُ التَّوَصُّلُ إلَيْهِ بِالصِّدْقِ وَالْكَذِبِ جَمِيعًا، فَالْكَذِبُ فِيهِ حَرَامٌ، وَإِنْ أَمْكَنَ التَّوَصُّلُ إلَيْهِ بِالْكَذِبِ وَحْدَهُ فَمُبَاحٌ إنْ أُبِيحَ تَحْصِيلُ ذَلِكَ الْمَقْصُودِ، وَوَاجِبٌ إنْ وَجَبَ تَحْصِيلُهُ كَمَا لَوْ رَأَى مَعْصُومًا اخْتَفَى مِنْ ظَالِمٍ يُرِيدُ قَتْلَهُ أَوْ إيذَاءَهُ فَالْكَذِبُ هُنَا وَاجِبٌ وَكَذَا لَوْ سَأَلَهُ عَنْ وَدِيعَةٍ يُرِيدُ أَخْذَهَا يَجِبُ إنْكَارُهَا. (رد المحتار على الدر المختار)
And know that lying is sometimes permitted and sometimes obligatory. The principle for it, as mentioned in Tabyeen al-Mahaarim and others from al-Ihya, is that every praiseworthy goal that can be achieved with truth and lying, then lying in it is forbidden. If it is only achievable by lying, then it is permissible for a permitted goal. And obligatory if the goal is obligatory.
For example, if he saw an innocent person hiding from an oppressor who wants to kill him or harm him, then lying (to conceal him) is obligatory. Likewise, if he (an oppressor) asks him about a security that he wants to usurp. He is obliged to deny (having) it. (Imam Ibn Abideen 1252H, Radd al-Muhtar).
Sin is upon the oppressor
In circumstances where a Muslim is permitted or obliged to lie, the sin is upon the oppressor. This is because the oppressor has caused the situation in which lying became necessary. Although lying is a grave sin in Islam, oppression is greater still.
Warning
Rulings like the above, where a person can lie to protect wealth should not be taken lightly or misused. Unfortunately, some Muslims misuse or misrepresent legal rulings. The purpose of this ruling is to protect people from oppression. It must not be used for the opposite. Misrepresenting the religion of Allah (Most High) is an incredibly severe sin.
Conclusion
As we have seen from the evidence above, it is permitted for one to lie to protect wealth. However, this must be restricted to situations where no other means is available. These are nuanced matters and have to be studied correctly, so they can be understood and applied correctly.
And Allah Most High Knows Best.
–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (13.10.24)
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