Bearing false witness.
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:
Assalamu
alikkum
I
would like to get a good answer for my question
sir,
one learned man, I mean an advocate whether muslim or non muslim can
represent againest a innocent man for foulty/wrong/miscorret information
in the court/justice so as to get a panisment. Is there any
comments/advice says in the great Quraan. Please clarify and do the same for
the sake of Allah.
May
Allah give you all necessary helps/strongs to you & best regards
(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:
Bearing false
witness
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.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah
Nisaa verse 135:
135 O ye who believe! Stand out
firmly for justice 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) or decline to do
justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do.
Allah and His Messenger (saws) have Guided and Commanded
the believers who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day to always stand firmly
with the Truth and with Justice, regardless of whether their witness is against
themselves, their parents, their wives, their children or their nearest and
dearest ones.
Under no circumstances would it be deemed permissible for
a believer who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day to lie, or give
false witness, or defend something which is wrong or unjust…..regardless of
whether the culprit who did wrong was himself, his wife, his parents, or his
loved ones! He is duty bound by Islam as
a believer to always speak the Truth, even if his giving witness incriminates
himself or his loved ones.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.7 Narrated by
Abu Bakra
Allah's Messenger (saws) said thrice,
"Shall I not inform you of the biggest of the Great Sins?" We said, "Yes, O Allah's Messenger
(saws)" He (saws) said, "To
join partners in worship with Allah; to be undutiful to one's parents." The Prophet (saws) then sat up after he had
been reclining and added, "And I
warn you against giving forged statement and a false witness; I warn you
against giving a forged statement and a false witness." The Prophet (saws)
kept on saying that warning till we thought that he would not stop!
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.54 Narrated by Abu Bakra
The Prophet (saws) said, "The biggest of
the Great Sins are: ‘To join others in worship with Allah, to be undutiful to
one's parents, and to give a false
witness." He (saws) kept on repeating that warning till we wished he would
stop saying it.
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.821 Narrated by Anas
The Prophet (saws) was asked about the
Greatest Sins. He (saws) said,
"They are:--
(1 ) To join others in worship with Allah,
(2) To be undutiful to one's parents,
(3) To kill a person (murder)
(4)
And to give a false witness."
Such is the abomination and gravity of the sin of giving
false witness in Islam, that the Messenger of Allah (saws) listed it amongst
the Absolute Greatest and Most Henious Sins in the Sight of Allah
Subhanah!
Amongst all the declared Greatest Sins in Islam, giving
false witness is ranked fourth after ‘shirk’, being undutiful to one’s parents,
and murder!
If one intentionally lies, forges, or gives false witness
to avert the course of justice in an effort to defend oneself, or one’s
parents, or wife, or children, or one’s loved ones who have done wrong; Allah
is our witness, he will brought forth as a criminal in the Majestic Presence of
the Lord All-Knowing on that Inevitable Day of Judgment for his abomination of
giving false witness and trying to avert the course of justice!
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