Ibrahim only spoke three lies

لم يكذب إبراهيم إلا ثلاث كذبات

Ibrahim only spoke three lies.

This is a type of lie, the lowest form of lying, termed as ma’arid (allusions/ambiguities). It appears in the hadith:

إن في المعاريض لمندوحة عن الكذب

Ambiguities are the alternative for lies.

Al Bayhaqi narrated it with a jayyid sanad mawquf till ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu. However, this is actually his marfu’ sanad to Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam as explained by al Albani in Silsilat al Da’ifah.^[1]

Despite this, the taqwa of Sayyidina Ibrahim ‘alayh al Salam reached such a high level that he will recall these ambiguities on the Day of Qiyamah. This is the state of affairs when a person realises the significance of an action despite it seeming trivial.

This ‘lie’ is not considered such, and is not haram especially in the trying circumstances he faced, like Namrud’s intention to sexually abuse his wife. Do the Rawafid expect Sayyidina Ibrahim ‘alayh al Salam to allow Namrud to commit this vile act?

Choosing the lesser of the evils and avoiding the greater is established according to the intellectuals and also in the din of Allah. If removal of a greater harm is only possible by a lesser harm, then it is permissible to adopt this cause of action.

Was it appropriate for Sayyidina Ibrahim ‘alayh al Salam to join his nation in worshipping idols to save himself from lying? Was it better for him not to display the helplessness of the idols to show the waywardness of his nation or to protect himself from this form of ambiguity?

These are mentioned in the Qur’an. So why do you not object to the Qur’an?

Similar to his was Sayyidina Yusuf’s ‘alayh al Salam announcement:

أَيَّتُهَا الْعِيْرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَارِقُوْنَ

O caravan, indeed you are thieves.^[2]

Was this not a lie? The most you can do to oppose this is to avoid labelling it a lie. However, this justification is not sufficient to convince a non-Muslim. What will you say about Sayyidina Yusuf ‘alayh al Salam who ordered the announcement, “O caravan, indeed you are thieves”? Whereas they did not steal? Do you only have worthless justifications? That is why al Khu’i found no option but to call this a type of lie for necessity. Al Khu’i has labelled Sayyidina Ibrahim’s ‘alayh al Salam statement, “Indeed, I am sick,” and Sayyidina Yusuf’s ‘alayh al Salam statement, “O caravan, indeed you are thieves,” as permissible lies.^[3] So why this type of resentment and bitterness for what your grand Sheikh al Khu’i has permitted.

Sayyidina Ibrahim ‘alayh al Salam said, “I am ill,” to save himself from shirk when his nation invited him to the same. You oppose him in tawhid. He said to his people:

وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُوْنَ مِنْ دُوْنِ اللَّهِ وَأَدْعُوْ رَبِّيْ

And I will leave you and those you invoke other than Allah and will invoke my Lord.^[4]

You oppose him and invoke other creations with your Rabb. You equate them with the Creator and steal His most beautiful names and give them to your Imams. So why so much reservation for lying when you have a careless attitude when dealing with shirk?

For those who have made Taqiyyah an integral part of their din, it is not permissible for them to despise lying out of necessity. Taqiyyah appears in the Qur’an as a rukhsah (concession) in dire circumstances whereas you utilise it in favourable and adverse situations.

ورد في الكافي أن رجلا رأى رؤيا فدخل على جعفر الصادق يخبره بها و كان عنده أبو حنيفة فأومأ إلى أبي حنيفة ليعبرها له فلما فعل قال جعفر الصادق أصبت والله يا أبا حنيفة فلما خرج أبو حنيفة قال الرجل لجعفر الصادق لقد كرهت تفسير هذا الناصب قال جعفر ليس التفسير كما فسر قال له الرجل لكنك تقول له أصبت و تحلف على ذلك و هو مخطئ قال جعفر نعم حلفت عليه أنه أصاب الخطأ

It appears in al Kafi that a person saw a dream and came to Jafar al Sadiq to inform him about him. At the time, Abu Hanifah was present so he requested Abu Hanifah to interpret it. After interpreting it, Jafar al Sadiq commented, “You are right, by Allah, O Abu Hanifah.”

After he left, the man told Jafar al Sadiq, “I dislike the interpretation of this nasibi.”

Jafar responded, “It is not as he explained.”

The man said in surprise, “But you told him that he was right and swore an oath upon this whereas he was wrong?”

Jafar explained, “Yes, I swore that he was correct in reaching the wrong conclusion.”^[5]

Taqiyyah is not simply a virtuous action. It is a fundamental of their din. And abandoning it is a major sin according to them. In fact, one who rejects it becomes a rejecter of Islam.

Al Qummi explains:

و التقية واجبة لا يجوز رفعها إلى أن يخرج القائم (الإمام الغائب) فمن تركها قبل خروجه فقد خرج من دين الله تعالى و من دين الإمامية و خالف الله و رسوله و الأئمة

Taqiyyah is compulsory. Its alleviation is not permissible until the Qa’im emerges. Whoever abandons it prior to his emergence, has exited from the Din of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and the din of Imamiyyah and has opposed Allah, His Messenger, and the Imams.^[6]

They report that Jafar al Sadiq declared:

تسعة أعشار الدين في التقية و لا دين لمن لا تقية له

Nine tenths of din lies in Taqiyyah. There is no din for the person who has no Taqiyyah.”^[7]

التقية ديني و دين آبائي و لا إيمان لمن لا تقية له

Taqiyyah is my din and the din of my forefathers. One who has no Taqiyyah has no iman.^[8]

تارك التقية كتارك الصلاة

The one who abandons Taqiyyah is like one who abandons salah.^[9]

The Shia have divided Taqiyyah into four types:

Al Taqiyyah al Khaufiyyah (fear)
Al Taqiyyah al Ikrahiyyah (forced)
Al Taqiyyah al Kitmaniyyah (concealed)
Al Taqiyyah al Mudarattiyah (empathy)^[10]

This clearly proves that the Shia allow Taqiyyah in both favourable and adverse conditions with both believers and disbelievers equally, to the extent that they include it among the fundamentals of their din. It is ‘azimah (meritorious) not rukhsah (concession) in their eyes. They use it in both conditions of difficulty and ease, and without fearing for their lives. Only to protect the religion from being obliterated.^[11]

So those who allow Taqiyyah and report contradictory reports from their Imams, the reason behind it being Taqiyyah, and who make it a fundamental of Islam; we will not accept this type of rejection from them. It is suitable for those who do not make lying a fundamental of din to have reservations for this. Remember the words of Sheikh al Shia al Qummi:

Taqiyyah is compulsory. Its alleviation is not permissible until the Qa’im emerges. Whoever abandons it prior to his emergence, has exited from the Din of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and the din of Imamiyyah and has opposed Allah, His Messenger, and the Imams.^[12]

Next⇒ When the verse: And warn, [O Muhammad], your closest kindred was revealed

[1] Silsilat al Da’ifah Hadith: 1094.

[2] Surah Yusuf: 70.

[3] Misbah al Faqahah vol. 1 pg. 401.

[4] Surah Maryam: 48.

[5] Al Kafi al Rawdah vol. 8 pg. 292.

[6] Al I’tiqadat pg. 114 – 115.

[7] Al Kafi vol. 2 pg. 72.

[8] Al Usul min al Kafi vol. 2 pg. 217, 219 – chapter on Taqiyyah.

[9] Taj al Din Muhammad ibn Hamd al Sha’iri: Jami’ al Akhbar pg. 95.

[10] Muhammad Sadiq Ruhani: Risalah fi al Taqiyyah (in Kitab al Amr bi al Ma’ruf wa al Nahy ‘an al Munkar pg. 148.)

[11] Al Hukumat al Islamiyyah pg. 61.

[12] Al I’tiqadat pg. 114.

BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents