Atonement for false oath.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
May Allah Bless you for helping your Muslim brothers and
sisters in the light of Islam; My question is that a man under certain
conditions which could deteriorate the
problem in the society; takes false oath on Quraan in order to smoothen the
relations among the members of the society. But the man repents for
disrespecting the Quraan that is taking oath on it falsely. What is the Kufara
in this case for the person?
(There may be some grammatical and spelling
errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions,
comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in
confidentiality.)
Answer:
Atonement for false
oath
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His
help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
If one (under normal conditions) intentionally swears or
takes a false oath in the Blessed Name of Allah Subhanah, then the atonement
for that person would be to turn in ‘taubah’ and seek sincere repentance from
their Lord for their manifest transgression.
If one is indeed sincere in seeking repentance, they will find their
Lord Forgiving and Merciful.
Your Question: What is the Kufara in this case for the
person?
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse
135:
135 O ye
who believe! Stand out firmly for
justice (and Truth) as witnesses to Allah even as against yourselves or
your parents or your kin and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah
can best protect both. Follow not the
lusts (of your hearts) lest ye swerve and if ye distort (justice and truth) or
decline to do justice; verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chatper 5 Surah Maidah verse
8:
8 O ye
who believe! Stand out firmly for
Allah as witnesses to fair dealing and let not the hatred of others to
you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to Piety: and
fear Allah for Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.
Dear and beloved brother in Islam, the religion of Truth
guides those who have professed belief in Allah and the Last Day to always, and
we reiterate, always fear Allah and stand on the side of the Truth, even if
that truth is against oneself, one’s interests, or against one’s loved
ones.
It simply would neither behove nor befit nor would it be
in alignment with the character of a believer, who sincerely believes in Allah
and the Last Day, to utter a lie to gain a paltry benefit for himself or his
loved ones.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.116 Narrated by Abdullah
The Prophet (saws) said, "Truthfulness leads to
righteousness, and righteousness leads to
Al-Muwatta Hadith 56.11
Malik related from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar that
the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Whomever Allah protects from the evil
of two things will enter the Garden. They are what is between his jaws and what
is between his legs, what is between his jaws and what is between his legs,
what is between his jaws and what is between his legs!!!."
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.799 Narrated by Sahl bin Sad
The Prophet (saws) said, "Whoever guarantees me (the
chastity of) what is between his legs (i.e. his private parts), and what is
between his jaws (i.e., his tongue), I guarantee him
Thus my beloved brother, Islam guides and commands its
followers to always stand on the side of the Truth, even if the consequences of
the stating the Truth might be against oneself or the interests of oneself or
one’s loved ones.
Having being commanded to always speak and stand on the
side of the Truth, there are a few specific instances and circumstances where
Allah and His Messenger (saws) have allowed the believers to (so to say) ‘bend’
the truth…for a lie said in these specific circumstances and situations would
not be considered a lie in the Sight of Allah Subhanah:
Ref-1: In
the state of ‘war’:
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 2631 Narrated byKa'b ibn Malik
When the Prophet (saws) intended to go on an expedition
(Jihad), he (saws) always pretended to be going somewhere else, and he (saws)
would say: “War is deception!”
Ref-2: One who says a ‘lie’ to make peace or put
relations right between people.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.857 Narrated by Um Kulthum bint Uqba
That she heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, "He
who makes peace between the people by inventing good information or saying good
things, is not a liar."
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 4902 Narrated byUmm Kulthum bint Uqbah al-Umawiyyah
The Prophet (saws) said: “He who forged in order to put
things right between two persons did not lie.” The version by Ahmad ibn
Muhammad and Musaddad states the the Prophet (saws) declared: “The liar is not
the one who puts things right between people, saying what is good and
increasing good.”
If one happened to lie or invent a falsehood to smoothen
the relations between two or more estranged members of the society ….even if
one were to take a false oath….such a person would not be considered a liar in
the Sight of Allah Subhanah.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister