Part 6 - Adapted into English from Shaykh Dr. Othman Al-Khamees's Arabic Seerah lecture preserving the original meaning while presenting the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
After the incident of the people of Makkah prostrating when they heard the chapter called The Star (Surah al-Najm), some of the Muslims who had migrated to Abyssinia returned to Makkah. They had heard that the polytheists had prostrated with the Prophet and assumed that the situation in Makkah had changed.
But, as we have explained, the story of the exalted cranes (al-Gharaniq) is false. What is authentic is that the chapter called The Star (Surah al-Najm) was revealed to the Prophet, he prostrated, and the people of Makkah prostrated with him.
There is another very important lesson here.
The people of Arabia were deeply affected by powerful speech. They could distinguish between ordinary human speech and speech of extraordinary eloquence. When they heard the Quran, they were affected by it.
A man was once sent by the Prophet and was asked what he thought and what he felt. The Prophet said to him:
"All praise belongs to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger."
The man said, "Wait. Repeat that to me."
So the Prophet repeated:
"All praise belongs to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the evil of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides is truly guided, and whoever He allows to go astray, you will find no protecting friend or guide for him."
The man said, "What is this that you have said? I have never heard speech like this before."
The Prophet told him that this was what had been revealed to him.
The man accepted Islam.
Look at how the opening of a sermon affected him. These people were familiar with speech. They knew the difference between ordinary human words and words of extraordinary power. They were affected by the speech that Allah revealed to His Prophet, and they were affected by the Prophet's speech that Allah had taught him.
This is part of the reason why the people of Makkah prostrated when they heard The Star (Surah al-Najm). It was because of the extraordinary beauty, structure, eloquence, and power of the chapter. They were overwhelmed by what they heard, and they prostrated before Allah.
Only Umayyah ibn Khalaf refused to make the full prostration. Even he could not simply remain standing. He took a handful of dust, placed it on his forehead, and said that this was enough for him. In other words, he still lowered his head to the ground.
So the point is clear: the story of the exalted cranes (al-Gharaniq) is false. The correct account is that the chapter called The Star (Surah al-Najm) was revealed to the Prophet, and the people of Makkah prostrated with him.
There is another beautiful point connected to this.
We said that when the polytheists prostrated, the Muslims in Abyssinia heard about it and returned from Abyssinia. But when did the chapter called The Star (Surah al-Najm) actually come down?
Allah says:
This refers to the ascent to the heavens, the Night Journey and Ascension (al-Isra wal-Miraj).
The Ascension took place in the tenth year after the beginning of the Prophet's mission, whereas the migration to Abyssinia occurred in the fifth year.
So there were approximately five years between these events. Therefore, the idea that the Muslims returned from Abyssinia because they heard about the supposed incident of the exalted cranes does not fit the chronology.
The correct conclusion is that the story of the exalted cranes is false. Nothing of that sort happened. The Muslims did not return from Abyssinia because of that story. Rather, they returned because they believed that conditions in Makkah had stabilized after hearing that the polytheists had prostrated.
After this, the Prophet continued calling people to Allah. We have already explained that his preaching was still largely secret at this stage. Then two men accepted Islam whose acceptance had an enormous effect: Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Umar ibn al-Khattab. Allah strengthened Islam through these two men.
Hamzah accepted Islam toward the end of the sixth year after the beginning of the Prophet's mission.
The reason for his acceptance was connected to an incident involving Abu Jahl.
The Prophet was praying near the Kaaba. Abu Jahl passed by and insulted the Prophet with extremely offensive words. The Prophet remained silent and did not answer him. He turned away from the ignorant.
Abu Jahl then went to his gathering.
A woman associated with Abdullah ibn Judan had heard what Abu Jahl had said to the Prophet. Later, Hamzah returned from hunting. She told him what had happened.
She said that Abu al-Hakam, meaning Abu Jahl, had come to Muhammad and insulted him terribly and had said such-and-such. Hamzah became angry. Hamzah was the Prophet's paternal uncle and was also his brother through nursing. He went directly to Abu Jahl's gathering. Hamzah raised his bow and struck Abu Jahl in the face with it, cutting his face and causing it to bleed. He then said:
"Do you insult Muhammad while I follow his religion?"
But Hamzah was not yet a Muslim. The statement came out of him in a moment of anger. He was defending the Prophet.
A group from the clan of Abu Jahl wanted to attack Hamzah. Members of the Prophet's clan, the clan of Hashim, came forward as well, and the situation threatened to become a fight between the two groups. Abu Jahl stopped them. He said that he had indeed insulted the Prophet terribly and told them to leave Hamzah alone.
After Hamzah left, he went home and reflected on what he had said. He thought to himself:
"How did I say that I follow his religion when I have not accepted Islam? How could I say that?"
He then prayed to Allah: "Lord, show me the truth as truth and enable me to follow it. If what I said is true, then guide me to it. If it is otherwise, give me a way out."
The following morning, Hamzah went to the Prophet. He said, in effect:
"O Muhammad, I said such-and-such yesterday, and I said that I followed your religion. So speak to me. Tell me something."
The Prophet invited him to Islam and reminded him of Allah. Hamzah accepted Islam and entered the religion of Allah. He then told the Prophet: "I testify that you are truthful."
Allah strengthened the Muslims through Hamzah.
As for Umar ibn al-Khattab, two famous stories are commonly told about how he accepted Islam. However, neither story has been established through an authentic chain of transmission. One of them is stronger than the other, but neither is authentically established.
The first story says that Umar took up his sword and set out intending to kill the Prophet. A man from Quraysh met him and asked where he was going. Umar said that he was going to Muhammad, the man who had separated people from their spouses and separated sons from their fathers. The man asked how Umar could kill him when the clans of Hashim and Zuhrah would defend the Prophet. Then the man told Umar that he should first put his own house in order because his sister and her husband had followed Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Umar's sister was Fatimah bint al-Khattab, and her husband was Saied ibn Zayd. Saied's father was Zayd ibn Amr ibn Nufayl, the man we mentioned earlier who had rejected idol worship and refused to eat what had been sacrificed to idols. Umar went to his sister's house. Khabbab was there teaching them the Quran, so he hid himself. Umar entered and struck Said ibn Zayd. He then turned toward his sister and asked what they were doing.
She said that they were reading the Quran. Umar asked her to give him the pages so that he could see them. She refused and told him that he was a polytheist and that he should wash himself first. He went and washed himself, and then she gave him the pages. He began reading, and they contained the beginning of the chapter called Ta-Ha (Surah Ta-Ha).
Umar was astonished by what he read. He asked where Muhammad was. She asked him what he wanted. He said that he wanted to speak to him. Umar then went to the Prophet and accepted Islam. That is the first famous story.
The second story says that Umar saw the Prophet praying near the Kaaba. Umar stood behind him because he wanted to hear what the Prophet was saying during his prayer.
The Prophet recited, and Umar initially thought, "By Allah, he is a poet." Then the Prophet recited words that directly answered what was in Umar's mind:
Then Umar said: "Then he must be a soothsayer." Then the prophet recited:
Umar remained silent until the Prophet finished reciting. Then Umar said that he wanted to enter into this religion.
Regardless of these two famous stories, the point remains that both stories portray Umar as being deeply affected by the Quran.
Dr. Akram Diya al-Umari states that neither the story of Umar listening to the Prophet recite the Quran near the Kaaba nor the story of Umar going to his sister's house and seeing the written verses has been established through an authentic chain. Nevertheless, these reports can be mentioned as supporting indications for the fact that Umar accepted Islam after hearing verses of the Quran and being affected by them.
This was a familiar cause of Islam among many of the Companions. They heard the Quran and were profoundly affected by it. It is also authentically reported from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Prophet prayed: "O Allah, strengthen Islam through the one of the two men who is more beloved to You: Amr ibn Hisham or Umar ibn al-Khattab."
Amr ibn Hisham was Abu Jahl. He remained upon disbelief and rejection. He was a powerful figure among Quraysh. Had Abu Jahl accepted Islam, many others among Quraysh might have followed him. But Allah did not decree that he would accept Islam. Instead, Umar accepted Islam.
Abdullah ibn Masud said: "We have remained honored since Umar accepted Islam." When Umar and Hamzah accepted Islam, the Muslims felt a degree of strength and honor, while Quraysh felt the opposite.
One day Utbah ibn Rabiah stood among the leaders of Quraysh. Utbah was from the clan of Abd Shams. Hashim and Abd Shams were brothers, and therefore Utbah was related to the Prophet. The Prophet was sitting alone near the Kaaba. Utbah said to those around him:
"Shall I go to him and speak with him? I can offer him some proposals. Perhaps he will accept one of them, and we can give him whatever he wants in exchange for him leaving us alone. What do you think?" They agreed.
They said, "Go, Abu al-Walid, and speak with him." Utbah went to the Prophet and sat beside him. He said:
"O son of my brother, you know your position among us. You have a high standing among your tribe and a noble lineage. Yet you have brought your people something enormous. You have divided their community, criticized their understanding, insulted their gods and religion, and rejected the religion of their forefathers. So listen to me. I will offer you some proposals. Consider them. Perhaps you will accept some of them."
The Prophet said: "Speak, Abu al-Walid. I am listening." Utbah said:
"If what you want through this matter is wealth, we will gather wealth for you until you become the wealthiest among us. If you want honor and leadership, we will make you our leader. We will not make any decision without you. If you want kingship, we will make you our king. If what is happening to you is something you cannot repel, something resembling possession or illness, then we will seek treatment for you. We will spend our wealth until we cure you of it."
The Prophet remained silent and listened until Utbah had finished. Then he said:
"Have you finished, Abu al-Walid?" Utbah said yes.
The Prophet said: "Then listen to me, as I listened to you."
He began:
"In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
The Prophet continued reciting the chapter called Explained in Detail (Surah Fussilat) until he reached the warning:
At that point, Utbah moved and placed his hand over the Prophet's mouth. He said:
"I ask you by Allah and by the ties of kinship. I ask you by Allah and by the ties of kinship."
He was asking the Prophet not to continue to the point where the threatened punishment would come upon them.
The Prophet then completed his recitation until he reached the prostration. He prostrated.
Then he turned to Utbah and said: "You have heard, Abu al-Walid. You have heard what you have heard. The matter is now between you and what you choose."
Utbah stood and returned to his companions. They looked at him and said:
"By Allah, he has returned to you with a completely different face from the one with which he left."
Something had happened to him. When he sat down, they asked: "What happened, Abu al-Walid?"
He said: "I have heard speech that, by Allah, I have never heard anything like before. By Allah, it is not poetry, nor magic, nor soothsaying. O Quraysh, obey me. Let me handle this matter. Leave this man and what he is doing alone. By Allah, the speech I heard from him will have a great consequence. If the Arabs overcome him and kill him, then you will have been spared by others. But if he prevails over the Arabs, then his kingdom will be your kingdom, his honor will be your honor, and you will be the happiest people because of him."
They said: "By Allah, he has bewitched you with his tongue."
Utbah replied that this was his opinion and that they could do whatever they wished. This is the incident of Utbah ibn Rabiah with the Prophet.
Here we come to an important question. Did the people of Quraysh actually believe that the Prophet was a liar?
Did they genuinely believe he was a soothsayer or a magician? No.
Allah says:
How could the Prophet have been known as a liar when Allah Himself affirmed his truthfulness? His loved ones testified to his truthfulness. His enemies testified to his truthfulness. And the people of Quraysh themselves had known him for decades as the truthful and trustworthy one.
Consider the subject of truthfulness in the life of the Prophet. If you had asked Quraysh: "Who among you is the truthful and trustworthy one?"
They would have pointed toward the house of Muhammad and said: "That is the house of the truthful and trustworthy man."
When Quraysh rebuilt the Kaaba and disagreed about who should place the Black Stone, they decided that the first person to enter the area would arbitrate between them. The first person to enter was Muhammad (peace be upon him). They said: "The truthful and trustworthy one." This was a testimony to his truthfulness.
Allah also testified to his truthfulness. Allah says:
The scholars have discussed who is meant by "the one who brought the truth." There are different interpretations concerning the second part of the verse, but there is broad agreement among the commentators that the one who brought the truth is Muhammad. The Prophet Muhammad was the leader, finest, and foremost of the messengers.
So if Allah testifies to the truthfulness of the messengers, then he is at the highest level of truthfulness among them.
Allah also confirmed the Prophet's truthfulness through what He gave him. The Prophet stood before Quraysh and said: "I am the messenger of Allah to you."
Allah then supported him with extraordinary signs and miracles.
The moon was split.
The stone spoke to him and greeted him.
He brought them the magnificent Quran.
Allah supported him and gave him victory over his enemies.
Water flowed from between his fingers.
He touched the eye of a sick man and the man was healed.
He touched the sick and they were cured.
These and other signs accompanied the Prophet.
Allah gave him victory over his enemies and raised his mention throughout the world.
What does all of this demonstrate? It demonstrates that Allah confirmed the Prophet's claim: "I am the messenger of Allah to you."
Others claimed prophet-hood, but what happened to them?
Musaylimah claimed: "I am a messenger." He became known as Musaylimah the Liar. Allah disgraced him, and he was killed in a terrible manner.
Tulayhah al-Asadi also claimed prophethood falsely, but later repented and returned to the truth.
Al-Aswad al-Ansi claimed prophethood, but Allah abandoned him and he was killed.
Sajah also claimed to be a prophet sent by Allah. Allah abandoned her, and there are differing reports about what happened to her afterward; that she accepted Islam or remained a disbeliever.
Al-Mukhtar ibn Abi Ubayd also made claims of this kind, and Allah abandoned him.
This is the pattern of those who falsely claim to be messengers of Allah.
As for Muhammad, Allah raised his status, elevated his rank, granted him victory over his enemies, and supported him with extraordinary signs and miracles. What does this demonstrate? It demonstrates Allah's confirmation of him.
The Prophet's family, companions, and supporters also testified to his truthfulness.
We have already mentioned Khadijah. When the Prophet returned to her frightened after what he had experienced, he said: "Cover me, cover me."
He told her what he had seen. She replied:
"No, by Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You maintain family ties, speak truthfully, honor guests, carry the burdens of those in difficulty, and assist people through the hardships that afflict them."
Notice her words: "You speak truthfully." She knew him better than anyone. She had lived with him and knew his character.
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq also testified to his truthfulness. When the Prophet was taken on the Night Journey to Jerusalem and then ascended to the heavens, he told the people about it. Abu Jahl wanted to mock him. He asked whether he should gather the people so that Muhammad could tell them what had happened. The Prophet agreed. Some people then went to Abu Bakr and told him what Muhammad had claimed. They said:
"Your companion claims that he was taken last night to the Sacred House in Jerusalem and returned during the same night."
Abu Bakr asked: "Did he really say that?"
They said yes. Abu Bakr replied: "He has spoken the truth."
They were surprised. "You believe him concerning this?"
Abu Bakr said: "I believe him concerning something even more extraordinary than this. He receives news from heaven morning and evening. How could I not believe him concerning this?"
It was on this occasion that Abu Bakr became known as the Truthful One (al-Siddiq).
Ali ibn Abi Talib also testified to the Prophet's truthfulness. After Quraysh violated their agreement with the Prophet and betrayed the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Prophet decided to march toward Makkah. He prayed: "O Allah, conceal our movements from them."
Hatib ibn Abi Baltaah, one of the Companions, sent a letter to the people of Makkah warning them that the Prophet was coming and telling them to prepare. He sent the letter with a woman named Sarah, who could not read or write. She carried the letter toward Makkah.
Then revelation came to the Prophet and informed him of what Hatib had done. The Prophet immediately called Ali ibn Abi Talib and al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam. Another report names Mirsad ibn Abi Mirsad, and another mentions al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad. He told them:
"Go toward Makkah. At a place called Rawdat Khakh, you will find a woman named Sarah carrying a letter from Hatib. Take the letter from her."
They went and found her. Ali asked her where the letter was. She denied having it. They said they would search her. She agreed. They searched her but found nothing. Ali then said: "Look. By Allah, the Messenger of Allah has not lied, and we have not lied."
In other words, revelation had informed the Prophet that she had a letter, and the Prophet did not lie. Likewise, when the Prophet told them that she had the letter, they knew that they had been sent on the basis of truth.
Ali told her: "Bring out the letter, or we will remove your clothing."
She realized that they were serious and finally took the letter out from her hair. They returned with it to the Prophet. The important point here is Ali's statement: "By Allah, the Messenger of Allah has not lied, and we have not lied." This is another testimony to the Prophet's truthfulness.
Abdullah ibn Masud would sometimes narrate from the Prophet and say: "The truthful one, the one confirmed as truthful, told me..." Abu Hurayrah likewise used to say: "The truthful one, the one confirmed as truthful, told me..." These were the testimonies of his closest companions.
Another testimony came from Abdullah ibn Salam. When the Prophet entered Madinah, Abdullah ibn Salam went out with the people to see him. He said that when he first saw the Prophet, he looked at his face and immediately said: "By Allah, this is not the face of a liar."
The first words he heard the Prophet say were:
"O people, spread peace, feed people, maintain family ties, and pray during the night while people are sleeping. You will enter Paradise in peace."
Again, Abdullah ibn Salam looked at the Prophet and recognized from his face that he was not a liar.
These are some of the testimonies of those who loved the Prophet.
But there is something even more striking.
His enemies also testified to his truthfulness.
As the saying goes, the testimony of an enemy carries particular weight because he has no reason to praise the person he opposes.
We have already mentioned the incident involving Abu Hurayrah and Ibn Abbas.
Allah commanded the Prophet:
"Warn your closest relatives."
And Allah also commanded him:
"Declare openly what you have been commanded."
The Prophet climbed Mount Safa and called Quraysh.
He asked them:
"If I were to tell you that an army was behind this valley preparing to attack you, would you believe me?"
They answered:
"We have never known you to lie."
Think about this.
This happened after approximately forty years of his life had passed.
Quraysh were not saying merely, "We have not heard you lie today."
They said:
"We have never known you to lie."
This was a testimony from people who would later oppose him.
The Prophet was not known among them as a liar.
After the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, which took place in the sixth year after the migration, the Prophet had an opportunity to devote himself more fully to calling people to Allah.
He sent messengers to kings and tribal leaders.
He sent letters to the ruler of Egypt, the Persian emperor, the Byzantine emperor, and the ruler of Abyssinia, calling them to Islam.
Among those to whom he sent a letter was Heraclius, the ruler of the Byzantines.
The letter said:
"From Muhammad, the messenger of Allah, to Heraclius, the great ruler of the Byzantines. Accept Islam and you will have peace. Allah will give you your reward twice over. But if you refuse, then upon you is the sin of the farmers and common people."
The meaning was that a leader carries responsibility for those under his authority.
The Prophet said:
"Every one of you is a shepherd, and every one of you is responsible for his flock. The ruler is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock."
When Heraclius received the letter, he already knew that a prophet was going to appear.
Jesus, the son of Mary, had given glad tidings of a messenger who would come after him, whose name would be Ahmad.
"And remember when Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Children of Israel, I am truly Allah's messenger to you, confirming the Torah that came before me and giving good news of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad."
Heraclius and others had expected that prophet to come from the Children of Israel, as most prophets had.
But now this man had appeared among the Arabs.
Heraclius asked his people to find someone from the Arabs who could tell him about Muhammad.
They found Abu Sufyan.
At that time, Abu Sufyan was the leader of Quraysh and was travelling in the region of Syria for trade.
He was asked to come before Heraclius.
Heraclius asked:
"Which one of you is closest in lineage to this man?"
Abu Sufyan replied:
"I am."
He explained their family connection.
Heraclius told him to step forward and instructed the others:
"If he lies, indicate to me that he is lying."
Heraclius then questioned Abu Sufyan through an interpreter.
Among his questions were:
"Was there anyone among his forefathers who was a king?"
"What does he call you to?"
"Did he ever lie before making this claim?"
"Did you fight him?"
"Did he defeat you, or did you defeat him?"
"Does he betray agreements?"
"Who follows him?"
"Does anyone leave his religion because he becomes dissatisfied with it?"
One of the questions was particularly important:
"Did he ever lie before he made this claim?"
This was in the seventh year after the migration.
The Prophet was then around sixty years old.
Abu Sufyan, who was among his leading enemies, had to admit that Muhammad had never been known to lie.
Think about the significance of this.
How many of us today could stand before our friends, families, and enemies and have everyone say:
"We have never known you to lie."
Some people tell a story and others immediately say:
"Swear that it happened."
Why do they ask for an oath?
Because there is already some uncertainty concerning the person's truthfulness.
The Prophet's life was different.
His enemies themselves acknowledged that he had never been known to lie.
When will we actually live according to the Prophet's command concerning truthfulness?
The Prophet said:
"Hold firmly to truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A person continues to speak the truth and pursue truthfulness until he is recorded with Allah as a truthful person.
"Beware of lying, for lying leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Fire. A person continues to lie and pursue lying until he is recorded with Allah as a liar."
When will we fear Allah enough to say:
"My Lord, from today onward, I will not lie."
This is something we can decide.
Kaab ibn Malik is an example.
After Allah accepted his repentance because he had been truthful with Allah, he said that he had made a commitment never to lie for the rest of his life.
He said, in meaning:
"By Allah, I have never known anyone to be tested through truthfulness in the way that I was tested."
We can make that decision today.
We can say:
"I will not lie anymore. I want Allah to record me among the truthful."
Whatever happened in the past, Allah can forgive what has passed.
You can say:
"From today onward, I will be truthful with myself, truthful with Allah, and truthful with people."
What prevents us from making such a decision?
Nothing.
So let us make that decision and follow the example of the greatest of those who were truthful: our Prophet Muhammad.
We said that his companions and supporters testified to his truthfulness, and his enemies did the same.
There is the story of al-Akhnas ibn Shariq and Abu Jahl.
Al-Akhnas said to Abu Jahl:
"Abu al-Hakam, no one can hear us. I am asking you, so be truthful with me. Is Muhammad truthful or a liar?"
Abu Jahl replied:
"By Allah, Muhammad is truthful. By Allah, Muhammad has never lied."
Even his enemy acknowledged it.
There is another remarkable incident involving Musaylimah the Liar.
A man from his own tribe came to him.
He asked:
"Is Muhammad a messenger?"
Musaylimah replied:
"Yes, Muhammad is a messenger."
The man asked:
"And you?"
Musaylimah said:
"I am also a messenger."
The man then said:
"Muhammad has brought a Quran that has left people unable to produce anything like it. Have you brought anything like that?"
Musaylimah said yes and produced some words that he claimed were revelation.
The man then said to him:
"By Allah, you know that you are a liar, and I know that you are a liar. But a liar from Rabi'ah is dearer to me than a truthful man from Mudar."
Why?
Because Musaylimah was from his own tribe.
He was willing to stand with his own tribesman even though he knew that Musaylimah was a liar, while admitting that Muhammad was truthful.
This shows how clearly the truthfulness of the Prophet was recognized, even by those who opposed him.
Truthfulness was not merely a characteristic of the Prophet. It was an instruction he gave to his companions.
He commanded them:
"Hold firmly to truthfulness, for truthfulness leads to righteousness."
He also warned them against lying.
There is an incident involving Amir ibn Rabiah.
His mother once called him and said:
"Come. I will give you something."
She held out her hand.
The Prophet was there and asked:
"What do you have in your hand?"
She opened her hand and there was a date.
The Prophet said:
"If you had not actually intended to give it to him, it would have been recorded against you as a lie."
Think about how many lies may have been recorded against us.
How many times have we lied throughout our lives?
A person may lie because of weakness, because lying has become a habit, or because of poor manners.
The scholars and poets have expressed this idea in different ways.
One saying means:
"The stench of a dog's carcass is better to me than the smell of a person's lie, whether he lies seriously or in play."
Another says:
"Truthfulness is loved by the noble and respected person, while lying is loved by the vile and unsuccessful person."
So truthfulness is a quality of the honorable person, while lying is characteristic of the degraded person.
Some people may become confused when they hear the Prophet say that Ibrahim, the friend of Allah (Khalil Allah), made three statements that were described as lies.
How can Ibrahim be an example for us if Allah says:
"Indeed, you have an excellent example in Ibrahim and those with him."
How then could Ibrahim have lied?
And in the famous narration concerning intercession, people will come to Ibrahim and say:
"O Ibrahim, you are the intimate friend of Allah. Will you not see what has happened to us? Will you not intercede for us with Allah?"
Ibrahim will say:
"I made three statements."
What did the scholars say about these three statements?
The Prophet explained that Ibrahim did not lie except in three matters: two of them were concerning the cause of Allah, and one concerned Sarah.
The first was when he said:
"Indeed, I am sick."
The second was when he said:
"Rather, this great one of theirs did it, so ask them, if they can speak."
The third concerned Sarah, when Ibrahim told the ruler that she was his sister.
How should these statements be understood?
The scholars have provided detailed explanations.
Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi al-Maliki, a major scholar, explained that when Ibrahim said:
"Rather, this great one of theirs did it."
Some scholars understood this as indirect speech, known as indirect wording (ta'rid).
Indirect wording can allow a person to avoid an actual lie.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani also explained that these were not sins in the ordinary sense.
The Prophet himself indicated that these statements had a legitimate purpose connected to the religion of Allah.
Ibn Hajar explained that they were described as lies because of how they appeared to the listener, but they were not actual lies in the sense understood by people.
When Ibrahim said:
"Indeed, I am sick."
The scholars explained that Ibrahim was indeed sick in a sense.
His sickness was not necessarily a physical illness.
He was deeply distressed by what his people were doing: worshipping idols instead of Allah.
He was sickened by their actions.
So there was truth in what he said, even though his people understood it according to their own circumstances.
When Ibrahim said:
"Rather, this great one of theirs did it, so ask them, if they can speak."
He was not making a straightforward false claim that the large idol had actually destroyed the other idols.
He was exposing the absurdity of their worship.
Imagine that there are five or six people in a place and only one person knows how to write.
Someone asks:
"Who wrote this?"
The person says:
"Such-and-such a person wrote it."
Everyone knows that person did not write it.
The statement is being made sarcastically or as a way of exposing the obvious truth.
In the same way, Ibrahim was making his people confront the weakness of their idols.
When he said:
"Rather, this great one of theirs did it, so ask them, if they can speak."
They had to confront the contradiction.
They turned back upon themselves and said:
"You are the wrongdoers."
They realized that the idols could neither speak nor defend themselves.
Ibrahim had destroyed idols that could not protect themselves from anything.
So the statement was a means of exposing their false worship.
The third statement was when Ibrahim said of Sarah:
"She is my sister."
The Prophet explained this matter.
Ibrahim travelled to the land of a tyrannical ruler with Sarah.
Sarah was extremely beautiful.
Ibrahim feared that if the ruler discovered that she was his wife, he might try to take her for himself and kill Ibrahim.
So Ibrahim told Sarah:
"Tell him that you are my sister."
He meant his sister in faith.
Ibrahim said:
"You are my sister in Islam, for I know of no Muslim on earth besides you and me."
This narration was recorded by Imam Muslim in his authentic collection.
Therefore, these three statements attributed to Ibrahim were indirect expressions rather than the ordinary kind of lying that people commit.
And even if one were to describe them as lies in the outward sense, the scholars explained that lying can become permissible in a situation of genuine necessity.
This brings us to an important principle.
Suppose lying would cause harm.
But two harmful choices are placed before you.
One choice causes a smaller harm, while the other causes a much greater harm.
You choose the lesser harm, not because you desire it, but because you are trying to prevent the greater harm.
For example, if someone forced you to choose between stealing something and killing someone, you would choose the lesser harm in order to prevent the greater one.
This principle is called choosing the lesser of two harms.
Sufyan al-Thawri, may Allah have mercy upon him, explained an important definition of true understanding in religion.
He said, in meaning:
"The person of true understanding is not merely the one who knows the difference between benefit and harm. Rather, the person of true understanding is the one who knows which of two benefits is greater and which of two harms is lesser."
This is an important principle.
If two harms conflict, you choose the lesser harm.
If two benefits conflict, you choose the greater benefit.
That is the person of true understanding in religion.
And with that, we stop here.
Allah knows best.
May Allah send peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad.
