Former Pagan Detesting Lying, Refraining in Fear That Even Closest Allies Would Reject His Lies

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

An Instance of a Former Pagan Detesting Lying, Refraining From Lying, Fearing Even Closest Allies Will Reject Their Lies – So Muslims, Especially Seekers of Knowledge, Must Shun This Evil of Lying, And Never Keep Quiet About a Lying Ally.

Abdullah Bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him and his father, said: Abu Sufyan bin Harb informed me [i.e. about an incident that took place when he was not a Muslim] that Heraclius had sent a messenger to him while he had been accompanying a caravan from Quraish. They were merchants doing business in Sham (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan), at the time when Allah’s Apostle had a truce with Abu Sufyan and Quraish infidels. So Abu Sufyan and his companions went to Heraclius at Ilya (Jerusalem).

Heraclius called them in the court and he had all the senior Roman dignitaries around him. He called for his translator who, translating Heraclius’s question said to them, “Who amongst you is closely related to that man who claims to be a Prophet?” Abu Sufyan replied, “I am the nearest relative to him (amongst the group).” Heraclius said, ‘Bring him [i.e. Abu Sufyan] close to me and make his companions stand behind him.” Abu Sufyan added, that Heraclius told his translator to tell my companions that he wanted to put some questions to me regarding that man (The Prophet) and that if I told a lie they (my companions) should contradict me.” Abu Sufyan added, “By Allah! Had I Not Been Afraid of my companions labelling me a liar, I would not have spoken the truth about him [i.e. The Prophet]. [Sahih Al-Bukhari. Hadith umber 7]

Regarding Abu Sufyan’s statement: “By Allah! Had I not been afraid of my companions labelling me a liar, I would not have spoken the truth about him (i.e. The Prophet)”, Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr stated in Fat-hul Baari that this shows that they (i.e. the pagan Arabs) used to abhor lying either due to what they followed from the previously revealed laws [i.e. the Shariah of Prophets Ibrahim and Isma’eel – peace be upon them] or it was something abhorred in their customs. [1]

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated: “There was no behaviour more hateful to Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, than lying. A man would tell a lie when speaking in the presence of the Prophet, and he would not be satisfied until he knew that he had repented from it”. [2]

When Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, was asked: Is lying permissible in Dawah? Does (the statement) “the end justifies the means” represent a Maslahah (benefit) among the Masaalih (beneficial matters) of the Shariah? Part of his response was: “Calling to the path of Allah is not in need of lying. It is not permissible to utilise lying in calling to the path of Allah. Calling to the path of Allah is founded on truth—the Book, the sunnah, fine admonition, and arguing in a way that is better  and not through lying.” [3]

Read: https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2025/03/04/two-compelling-admonitions-outcomes-of-truthfulness-and-lying-by-al-allamah-rabee/

[1] An Excerpt. For further details, see Fat-hul Baari

[2] al-Tirmidhī 1973

[3] al-ijaabatul muhimmah fee mashaakil al-mulimmah, page:271-272]