The Detrimental Effects of. Lies. Compiled through the Blessings of Ghauth ul Waqt Huzoor Mufti e Azam Hind

Transcription

1 The Detrimental Effects of Lies Compiled through the Blessings of Ghauth ul Waqt Huzoor Mufti e Azam Hind By A Humble Servant of Allah Muhammad Afthab Cassim Al Qaadiri Razvi Noori Published For Free Distribution By Imam Mustafa Raza Research Centre Overport, Durban, South Africa A Noori Publication 1

2 All Rights Reserved No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical photocopying or otherwise without the prior permission of the Copyright Owner. Name: The Detrimental Effects of Lies Compiler: Muhammad Afthab Cassim al-qaadiri Razvi Noori The Publishers Imam Mustafa Raza Research Centre P.O. Box 70140, Overport, 4067 Durban, South Africa Offices 28 Clayton Road, Overport, Durban Tel/Fax: noori@noori.org Website: Contribute towards a noble course: For those brothers and sisters who wish to contribute towards our humble efforts, our Banking Details are as follows: Name : Imam Mustafa Raza Research Centre Bank : Nedbank Acc No : Branch : Sydenham Code : Sponsor the Printing of a Book for Esaal-e-Thawaab Contact us if you wish to sponsor the printing of a book for the Esaale Thawaab of the marhooms in your family. Sponsor the printing of a book and send the Thawaab to your marhoom family members. This is Thawaab-e-Jaariyah and a means of educating the Ummat. Knowledge is Power! 2

3 Compiler s Note All Praise is for Allah, The Creator of the worlds. Durood and Salaams upon the Most Blessed and Most Exalted in Allah s Creation, Sayyiduna Wa Maulana Muhammad. Peace and Blessings upon His Noble Family and Illustrious Companions, and upon all those who will follow the path of Righteousness. I have been requested by well-wishers and friends to prepare short books on essential topics that deal with our day to day life. In attempting to fulfill this request I have decided to extract information from Bahaar e Shariat on different topics and compile them into short booklets. By the Grace of Almighty Allah, The Mercy of Nabi Kareem and the blessings of my Masha ikh especially Sayyidi Taajush Shariah and Sayyidi Muhad dith Kabeer, the second of these booklets is before you. This books is titled The Detrimental Effects of Lies. I have extracted most of the information in this booklet from Bahaar e Shariat of Huzoor Sayyidi Sadrush Shariah Alaihir Rahma, and have added brief explanations wherever needed. I have further presented some short narrations from the Awliyah, including words of wisdom from great personalities like Sayyiduna Imam Ja far As Saadiq. I must thank Brother Rukhsar Hussain for taking time to read through this booklet and for making valuable suggestions. I make Dua through the Wasila of Nabi Kareem that Almighty Allah accepts this humble effort and that this booklet serves as a means of benefit to those who read it. Aameen. Sag e Mufti e Azam Muhammad Afthab Cassim Qaadiri Razvi Noori Imam Mustafa Raza Research Centre 3

4 This Booklet is Dedicated to The Testator to the Truth The First Khalifa of Islam The Beloved of The Most Beloved Rasool Hazrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddique For The Esaal e Thawaab of My Beloved Mother Sayyidah Khadija Goolam Rasool Allah Exalt Him, and Her and all Marhooms of The Ahle Sunnat with an Exalted Place in Holy Paradise. Aameen. 4

5 Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur an, ل ع ن ت االله ع ا ك ذ ب The curse of Allah, is upon the liars [Surah Aal e Imran, Verse 61] Telling lies has become a common trait today, and it is something which has become the cause of much strife in societies, homes, and families. People have started to take lies very lightly, and lie for every little thing. On the other hand, we have those who blatantly lie and try to prove that they are telling the truth. This, is very destructive, because such people cannot be trusted. We should repent from telling lies and shun this evil in our homes and in our communities. We also have those who are habitual liars and even when telling lies, they believe that they are telling the truth. This, is because they have become so accustomed to telling lies. May Allah protect us from this evil. Aameen. 5

6 Huzoor Sayyidi Sadrush Shariah Alaihir Rahma mentions in Bahaar e Shariat that, Kizb (Lies) is such an evil, that people belonging to every religion speak out against it. It is forbidden in every religion. Islam has placed great emphasis regarding abstaining from this. It has been condemned in numerous places in the Holy Qur an, and the curse of Allah is upon those who tell lies. The evils of (lies) have also been mentioned in the Hadith Shareef. Ahadith Pertaining to the Dangers of Lies It is reported on the authority of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Mas ud that Rasoolullah says, Make honesty essential (upon you), since truthfulness leads to good deeds and good deeds lead one towards the corridors of Jannat (Paradise). A man continuously speaks the truth and he continues to strive to be truthful, until by Allah, he is recorded as being a Siddique (Honest Person). Abstain from lies, for lies leads to corruption and corruption leads to the alleyway of hell, and man continuously tells lies and goes all-out to lie, until by Allah, he is recorded as being a Kaz zab. [Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim] A Siddique refers to a truly honest person. It is also the epithet of honour given to the first Khalifa of Islam Hazrat Abu Bakr as Siddique. A Kaz zab refers to a liar and the word Kizb means lies. 6

7 It is reported on the authority of Hazrat Anas that Rasoolullah said, The person who leaves telling lies, and it is futile (i.e. lies is something that one should leave), then a house will be erected for him on the perimeters of Jannat, and whosoever abstains from disputing (quarrelling) even though he is on the right, then a house will be erected for him in the middle of Jannat, and whosoever adorned himself with good character, then for him, a house will be erected in the elevated level of Jannat. [Tirmizi] It is reported on the authority of Hazrat ibn Umar that Rasoolullah said, when a person tells lies, then through its foul odour, the Angels stay a mile away from him. [Tirmizi] Look at how harmful it is to lie. Every one of us wishes that the Angels of Almighty Allah should remain close to us, so that they may say Aameen to our Duas, and so that we may be blessed by their special blessings, yet a person who lies is deprived of this great blessing, because Sayyiduna Rasoolullah has informed us that due the foul odour which emanates from the mouth of a liar, the Angels keep away from him, at a distance of one mile. It is reported from Hazrat Sufyan bin Asad Hadhrami. He says I heard Rasoolullah saying, To say something which is a lie to your Muslim brother, whereas he believes you to be telling the truth, is from amongst the things which are regarded as a breach of trust. [Abu Dawud] 7

8 It is reported from Abu Umaama that Rasoolullah said, The nature of a Muslim can consist of all traits, except distrustfulness and lies. In other words, both these things are contrary to Imaan. It is very important for a Momin (true believer) to stay away from these (traits). [Ahmed, Baihaqi] It is reported from Hazrat Safwaan bin Sulaym that the Prophet was asked, Can a believer be a coward? He said, Yes. It was then asked, Can a believer be a miser? He replied, Yes. He was asked, Can a believer be a liar? He said, No. [Maalik, Baihaqi] It is reported from Hazrat Abu Bakr that Rasoolullah said, Abstain from lies, since (telling a) lie is contrary to Imaan. [Ahmed] It is reported from Hazrat Abu Hurairah that Rasoolullah said, A servant does not become a true believer unless he abstains from telling lies even when he is being humorous, and (unless) he does not abstain from quarrelling, even though he may be right. [Ahmed] It has been reported on the authority of Bahz bin Hakeem, from his father, who narrated from his grandfather that Rasoolullah said, May he be devastated, who speaks and whilst doing so lies to amuse people (causing them to laugh). For him there is devastation! For him there is devastation! [Ahmed, Tirmizi, Abu Dawud, Daarimi] It is reported from Hazrat Abu Hurairah that Rasoolullah said, A person, who speaks only so that he could amuse people, falls into hell at a depth which is greater than the distance between the sky and the earth. 8

9 The amount of errors that are caused by the tongue, are far more than the errors caused by the foot. [Baihaqi] It is reported from Abdullah ibn Aamir who says Rasoolullah was present in our home and my mother summoned me, (by saying), Come, I will give you (something). He said, what do you intend giving him? She said, Dates. He said, If you would not have given (him) anything, you would have been accountable for a lie being recorded for you. [Abu Dawud, Baihaqi] It is reported from Hazrat Abu Burza that Rasoolullah said, Telling lies causes the face to become black (dark) and tale bearing causes torment in the grave. [Baihaqi] Look at what has been mentioned in this Hadith Shareef. It is telling us that when a person lies, his faces becomes black. In other words, he loses the Noor of Imaan and the light of blessedness from his face. Which person in his right sense of mind wishes to lose his true beauty and his radiance? Sadly, a liar is amongst those who loses this beauty and his face becomes damaged due to telling lies. It is reported from Hazrat Umm-e-Kulthum عن ما عا االله ر that Rasoolullah said, That person is not a liar, who brings peace between people, says good things, and delivers good words. In other words, he says good things on behalf of one person to another, even though that person did not say it. For example (he says), he has conveyed Salaam to you and he speaks highly of you. [Sahih Bukhari, Muslim] 9

10 It is reported from Asma bint Yazid عن ما عا االله ر that Rasoolullah said, lies are not correct (appropriate) except in three situations: (1) A man says something to please his wife; (2) To lie in a dispute; (3) To lie with the intention of bringing peace between people. [Tirmizi] In which Extreme Condition is One Permitted to Tell a Lie It is permissible to lie in three situations. In other words, there is no sin in doing so: The first situation is during war, since in this situation, it is done to deceive your opponent (enemy) and this is permissible. Similarly, if a tyrant is intent on being oppressive, then it is permissible to lie, to protect oneself from his tyranny. The second situation is when there is a dispute between two Muslims and one intends to bring peace between them. For example, if you say to one that the other regards you as being a good person and he praises you, or to say that he has conveyed salaam to you, and then to say similar words to the other person as well, so that the animosity between the two becomes less, and peace prevails between them. 10

11 The third situation is to mention something to please ones wife, which is contrary to the actual situation. [Alamgiri] In other words, this is allowed in order to avoid disunity and disputes etc. with the wife. However, this does not mean telling lies for impermissible reasons or for lame excuses. This rule should thus not be abused as one will be held in contempt in the court of Almighty Allah for lies. Remember you cannot hide your true intention from Allah. The Ruling of Tawriyah Tawriyah, in other words, the apparent meaning of the word is incorrect, but he has taken another meaning to it, which is correct. To do this without need is not permissible. An example of Tawriyah, is this that you invited someone to join you for a meal and he says that he has already eaten. The apparent meaning of this is that he has already eaten the meal for the current time, but he means that he has eaten yesterday. This is regarded as a lie. Tawriyah can be better understood by the fact that it is the formulation of Delphic ambiguous statements that causes the person to be deceived into believing that you are agreeing with him, when in fact, you are not. To practice Tawriyah for the sake of preserving the truth is permissible. In other words, the one possessing the right of pre-emption became aware of the sale of a conjoined property at night and he is not able to make people 11

12 witness to it at that time, then in the morning, he can say this before the witnesses, I became aware of the sale at that time. The second example is in the case where a girl starts menstruating at night and she elected to hold herself back on the basis of the option of puberty, but there are no witnesses to this, then in the morning she can say to the people, I noticed blood at that time. [Raddul Muhtar] Telling Lies to Obtain an Objective It is Haraam to tell lies to obtain such an objective which can be obtained by telling the truth, as well as by telling lies. If it can only be obtained by telling lies and not by telling the truth, then in certain circumstances, to lie is also Mubah (lawful), but in certain circumstances, it will be regarded as being Waajib. For instance if a tyrant intends to kill an innocent person, or he intends to harm him and he is hiding due to fear, and the tyrant asks someone regarding the whereabouts of the (innocent) person, then he may say, I do not know, even though he knows his whereabouts. Alternatively, if the entrusted item belonging to someone is in his care and someone wishes to steal it and he asks where the entrusted item is, then he (i.e. the one in whose care it is) has the right to reject it and say, His entrusted item is not with me. [Raddul Muhtar] 12

13 Disclosing a Sin or A Secret If someone committed an immoral act in private and he is asked if he committed such an act, then he may refuse and say that he did not do any such act, because it will be regarded as a second sin, to disclose such an action before the people. Similarly, if one is aware of any secret of a fellow Muslim brother, he has the right to refuse disclosing it. [Raddul Muhtar] If telling the truth will lead to disorder (rioting etc.) then, to lie even in such a situation is permissible, and if telling lies will lead to disorder, then it is Haraam. If one is in doubt regarding whether telling the truth will lead to disorder or telling lies will lead to disorder, then in such a situation, it is Haraam to lie. [Raddul Muhtar] Exaggeration The type of exaggeration which is habitually common and people attribute it merely to exaggeration only, and they do not take it in its literal context, does not fall under the category of lies. In other words, if one says, I came to (visit) you a thousand times or I said this to you a thousand times. 13

14 In this context, the figure of one thousand is not meant (to be correct), but it generally refers to coming over many times or saying it many times. However, such words will not be said when one only came over once or said something only once. If one came over only once and then says that he came a thousand times (i.e. meaning many times), then he is a liar. [Raddul Muhtar] The Use of Veiled References Ta reedh (i.e. giving veiled references or hinting). Certain situations regarding Ta reedh, which are aimed at making people s hearts happy and where a light-hearted moment is intended, then it is regarded as permissible. (An example of this is) the statement of the Hadith where it is mentioned that Old ladies will not enter Jannat or I will get you to sit on a baby camel. [Raddul Muhtar] In other words, even though it does not mean that old ladies will not enter Jannat, the Beloved Rasool said this to an old lady in a light-hearted moment. What he meant was that when you enter Jannat, you will be young and not old anymore. The reason for Him saying this was because when people enter Jannat, they will be young and healthy, and not old and weak. 14

15 The Pitiful Condition of a Liar Imam Jalaalud deen Suyuti presents a narration concerning a dream (i.e. vision) of the Beloved Rasool and in this vision the Beloved Rasool explain what He saw. In this He also mentions seing the condition of those who tell lies, and the intense punishment which they will face in the hereafter. Samurah bin Jundub reported that Rasoolullah would at times ask his Sahaba عن م عا Did anyone from amongst you see a dream today? Then,ر االله once Rasoolullah said, At night two people appeared to me and they said to me, Come with us, so I went with them. They brought me to the Holy land, where we saw a person lying down and another person was standing at his head-side with a rock, and he was continuously crushing his head with the rock. Every time he crushed it, it returned to normal to be crushed again, I said to the Angels, Subhaan Allah! Who is this? They said, Go Ahead! We passed by a person who was sleeping on his neck and a person was standing over him with an iron tong. He was holding his jaws from one end and pulling it to towards his nape and he was pulling his nostrils and eyes towards his nape as well. Then he did the same from the other side. He would not as yet complete what he was doing on one side and the other side would return to normal, and he then went on doing the same thing. I asked them, Who this was? They said, Go Ahead. We then passed by such a stove (tandoor) from which sounds of noise and disturbance could be heard. When we looked in, we found naked men and women inside and from underneath, flames were leaping towards them. As the flames leapt towards them, they would scream. I asked, Who are they? 15

16 They said, Go Ahead. We went further and then reached a river, which was of red blood. A man was swimming in the river and a man was standing on the bank of the river with many rocks. The man swimming in the river would come in front of the man standing on the bank. He would then open his mouth wide and the man would shove a rock into his mouth. He would then swim for a while and then return, he would again open his mouth wide and the person would again shove a rock into his mouth and this continued to happen. I asked, Who was this? They said, Go Ahead. We then went further, when we came across a person who looked very dreadful (to look at). He had with him fire and he was going around it. I asked, Who is this? They said, Go ahead! We then entered a lush green garden which boasted every fruit of spring. In the garden there was a person who was so tall that his head touched the sky. He also had some children with him whom I had never seen before and never have I seen with my eyes a garden so beautiful before. They said to me, Enter it! We entered it and entered such towns which were made from bricks of gold and silver. We reached the door (Gate) of the City and opened it. When we entered it, the people there were astonishing, some parts of their body were very beautiful and other parts were ugly. The Angels said to them, Go ahead and enter the river. There was a river in front (of them), the water of which, was purely white. They entered the river and when they returned, their ugliness was transformed into beauty. The Angels said, This is Jannat Al Adn and this is your final abode. Now, when I raised my head, I saw a Mansion as white as clouds. They said to me, This is your home. I said to them, بارك االله فيكما Now, leave me to enter my Mansion. You will surely enter it but not now. I said to them, Explain all which we saw at night. 16

17 They said, The first person whom you saw is the person who learnt the Qur an and left it and was in the habit of sleeping at the time of Fard Namaaz. He will be treated in this manner until Qiyaamat. The second person was a liar. He will be treated in this manner until Qiyaamat. The naked men and women were adulterers and the man swimming in the river (of blood) is one who used to take interest (usury), and the one going around the fire was Maalik the Custodian of Hell and the tall person stand in the garden is Hazrat Ibrahim السلام. ليه The ones standing with him are those children who passed away on Fitrat (i.e. Deen e Ibrahimi). The Sahaba e Kiraam عن م عا said, Ya Rasool Allah! Will the children of the ر االله Mushrikeen also be included amongst them? He said, Yes. The Angels (also said), Those who were half beautiful and half ugly were those who did both, good and bad deeds and Allah Almighty forgave them. (The Angels said), I am Jibra eel السلام ليه and with me is Hazrat Mika eel السلام. ليه Allahu Akbar! Look at the punishment that each of the people mentioned in the Hadith Shareef will face. However, since our discussion here is related to lies, the Hadith Shareef clearly tells us about the punishment for someone who lies. It is clearly mentioned that the punishment which the Beloved Nabi saw the liars in. Let us remind ourselves once again about the condition in which Nabi Kareem saw the liars. He says, We passed by a person who was sleeping on his neck and a person was standing over him with an iron tong. He was holding his jaws from one end and pulling it to towards his nape and he was pulling his nostrils and eyes towards his nape as well. Then he did the same from the other side. He 17

18 would not as yet complete what he was doing on one side and the other side would return to normal, and he then went on doing the same thing. Let us repent from all our sins before it is too late. Let us repent before death overtakes us. Let us sincerely ask Allah to forgive us, so that we are not counted amongst the Kaazibeen, i.e. those who are regarded as liars in the Court of Allah. May Allah protect us all from telling lies and from all the other evils. May we all live with Imaan and die with Imaan and may we rise under the shade of the Beloved Nabi s Mercy. Aameen. The Amaanat of the Tongue Concerning the Amaanah of the tongue, and how important it is to protect the tongue, Huzoor Sayyidi Taajush Shariah explains, The servant should have full consideration of Allah s Amaanat within himself and this refers to all the blessings that Allah has given him in his limbs (and in the rest of his body). The Amaanat of the tongue is that it should be protected from those things which are contrary to the Shariah, such as, telling lies, backbiting and slander, etc. The Amaanat of the eyes is that it should be protected from looking at strange women, and the Amaanat of the ears is that it must be protected from listening to vulgar, indecent, immodest and false words, and it should also be protected from listening to all other things that are against the Shariah. [Asaar e Qiyaamat] 18

19 Stay Away from a Liar Hazrat Sayyiduna Imam Ja far As Saadiq said, stay away from five kinds of people; A liar, as he will also betray you; A witless person, as he will try to benefit you, but will always cause you harm; A miser, for he will cause you severe loss, so he can gain even the slightest benefit; A coward, for he will leave you in distress during a difficult situation; A man who is involved in illicit dealings, for he will sell you for one morsel, and will still be hopeful of getting even less than that. [Masaalik-us-Saalikeen] 19

20 Huzoor Ghauth e Azam and The Truth I would like to end this booklet with a narration which almost all of us have been hearing ever since we were children. However, it is a narration which strengthens our Imaan and teaches us the importance of telling the truth and keeping away from lies. When Huzoor Ghauth e Azam intended to go to Baghdad to attain knowledge of Deen, took the permission of his mother Sayyida Ummul Khair Faatima. She gave him her blessings and her Duas. Before he embarked on his journey she said, O my dear son! I have now become very old and I do not think I will ever get to see you again, but my dua will always be with you. May Almighty Allah grant you success in your quest for academic and spiritual knowledge. She then said, Your deceased father left eighty Dinaars, from which I am giving forty dinaars to you, for your journey and forty dinaars I will keep for your younger brother Sayyid Abu Ahmad Abdullah. She took the forty dinaars and sewed them under the arm of his coat. She once again made dua for him and on bidding him farewell gave him the following advice, 20

21 O my beloved son! Let this advice which I am about to give you be an important part of your life. Always speak the truth! Do not even think of telling lies. On hearing this Huzoor Ghuas-e-Azam said, My dear mother! I promise from my heart, that I will always act upon your advice. Sayyidatuna Ummul Khair Faatima then embraced the apple of her eye with love and motherly gentleness for the last time, and blessed him with these final words, Go! May Allah be with you. It is He who is your Helper and Protecter. The journey to Baghdad began. After bidding farewell to his mother, Huzoor Ghauth-e-Azam, joined a caravan which was on its way to Baghdad. In those days, people travelled in groups for the sake of safety. The caravan of Huzoor Ghauth-e-Azam reached the city of Hamdaan without incident. After leaving Hamdaan, they journeyed further. Their journey took them into a dense forest, where they were attacked by sixty bandits. The leader of the bandits was a very notorious bandit called Ahmad Badwi. The travellers did not have the means to defend themselves against the robbers and were forced to surrender their belongings and valuables to them. 21

22 After looting the travellers, the robbers gathered all the loot and began to distribute it amongst themselves. While all this was happening, Huzoor Ghauth-e-Azam was standing very calmly amongst the travellers. Regarding him as just a young boy, none of the robbers approached him, until one of them decided to approach him. He went up to Hazrat Ghauthe-Azam and asked if he had anything valuable. Huzoor Ghauth-e-Azam replied by saying that he had in his possession forty dinaars. On hearing this, the robber laughed at Ghauth-e-Azam and walked away, thinking that he was lying. After some time another robber asked him the same question and received the same answer. He too dismissed this statement of Ghauth-e-Azam as a joke. When the robbers had gathered, both the robbers began to joke about the young boy who thought he had forty dinaars. On hearing their discussion, their leader Ahmed Badawi asked them to bring Sarkaar-e- Ghauth-e-Azam to him. When the great Saint was brought before Ahmed Badawi, he asked whether he had any valuables in his possession, and the Saint replied in the same way as before. When Ahmed Badawi heard this, he asked for the forty dinaars. Huzoor Ghauth-e-Azam calmly showed them where the dinaars were hidden. On tearing open the coat of Ghauth-e-Azam, they found that there were really forty dinaars sewn under the arm of the coat. On seeing this, Ahmed Badawi and his accomplices were taken aback. Ahmed Badawi then asked, 22

23 O Young man! None of us knew that you had any money. Knowing we are are bandits, why did you still tell us where the money was hidden? The young Ghauth-e-Azam replied by saying, When I had left on this journey, I had promised my elderly and pious mother that I would never lie. How then could I break this promise just for the sake of sixty bandits. On hearing this, Ahmed Badawi felt immense shame and in tears said, O young boy! You are so loyal in your promise to your mother, shame on me, that for years I have been disloyal to my promise with my Creator Almighty Allah. After saying these words, the bandit cried bitterly and then fell to the feet of Sarkaar-e-Ghauth-e-Azam and repented for his sins. When his accomplices saw this, they too did likewise and repented sincerely from all their sins. They then returned all the belongings of the travellers and Escorted them out of the jungle. It has been stated that the tauba of these bandits was so sincere, that they were blessed with Wilaayah, through the sadqa of Sarkaar-e-Ghauth-e- Azam. Huzoor Ghauth-e-Azam personally stated, This was the first tauba that a group of misled persons had made at my hands. 23

24 Subhaan Allah! Even in such a testing time, Huzoor Ghauth e Azam kept his promise to his mother, and preferred to tell the truth rather than lie. We should learn a great lesson from this beautiful incident. The beautiful narration teaches us how important it is to also be truthful. It teaches us about how important it is to love and honour our mothers, and it teaches us that if you regret and reflect on your sins and sincerely make Tauba (i.e. if you sincerely ask Allah to forgive you), then indeed you will find Allah Most Compassionate, Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. The bandits who sincerely repented were cleansed and blessed with Wilaayat. Repent sincerely and Almighty Allah will cleanse our hearts and bless us with closeness in His Court. Almighty Allah loves those who recognise their weaknesses and then sincerely ask repentance from Him. 24