Lying, Jihad and the Religion of Peace
By Labi Tony Zakka
The following discussion is so very important at this crucial moment of our struggle for two good reasons. Firstly, there is a great deal of media campaign of calumny to malign chriatians and Christianity in Nigeria. the case of Reuben Buhari and Gonin Gora debacle are a good case to cite. Secondly, it is imperative that we understand the degree to which lying is not only permitted, but actually fostered and even, at times, commanded in Islam. One will have a hard time relating to the fact that purposeful exaggerations, covering of the truth and occasionally – outright-delibe rate lying is a core part of the religion of Islam. There are actually specific doctrines and traditions that foster a culture of dishonesty within Islam as we shall soon see.
In order to understand how a religion like Islam especially the hausa version rationalizes and justifies lying, we must first briefly look at the concept of jihad and the goals of Islam. I have already discussed this in “The Islamic Foundations of Suicide Bombings”, but will point out again that jihad is essentially viewed within Islam as a struggle to bring all things into submission to Allah and Islam. The battlefields that jihad is fought on can be viewed on a spectrum with personal inner struggle on one side of the spectrum. This struggle is fought by every Muslim who wishes to overcome his or her own personal weaknesses, or inner demons. As we move across the spectrum there is the need to wage jihad to cause other individuals to submit to Islam. This is, of course, what we call evangelism in some Christian quarters. In Islam it is called Dawah.
Flowing on down the spectrum, there is the imperative for Islam to take over local and eventually national governments. This is the point, unfortunately where the violent face, the true face of Islam is often revealed. This is where jihad usually gets bloody. This reality is seen throughout the World and in Nigeria today. So, while many people in the south, especially south-eat think of book haram as fight of northerners, or jihad as simply fighting against non-Muslim governments and nations, the real concept in Islam actually includes all aspects of life.
So, “Evangelism” in Islam is more than just “sharing the good news,” it is war. Thus, when dealing with non-Muslims, Islam encourages Muslims to use an aggressive jihad/war-time mentality that is literally defined by deception. This mentality of evangelism as jihad also finds its support in Islam under the category of two specific doctrines called Kithman and Taqiya.
Now, of course, there are some verses and traditions in Islam that discourage lying. For instance, the Quran in Surah 2:42 we read, “And cover not Truth with falsehood, nor conceal the Truth when ye know (what it is)”. (Yusuf Ali). But unfortunately, as we are about to see, for many Muslims, it is the exception to the rule that have actually become the rule itself. Muslim scholars teach that Muslims should generally be truthful to each other, unless the purpose of lying is to"smooth over differences."
There are two forms of lying to non-believers that are permitted under certain circumstances, taqiyya and kitman.
There is essentially no difference between the doctrine of Kithman and the doctrine of Taqiya. The Arabic word,"Taqiyya", means"to prevent,"or guard against. The principle of Al Taqiyya conveys the understanding that Muslims are permitted to lie as a preventive measure against anticipated harm to one's self or fellow Muslims. A quote from a Shia’ Muslim commentator in the shia’ encyclopedia comes handy; “the word"al-Taqiyya"literally means:"Concealing or disguising one's beliefs, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions, and/or strategies at a time of imminent danger, whether now or later in time, to save oneself from physical and/ or mental injury."A one-word translation would be"Dissimulation."A diplomatic way of describing al-Taqiyya would be to call it “diplomacy”.
In like manner the doctrine of Kithmsn is articulated by Imam Jafar Sadiq of Shia’ Islam as: ‘One, who exposes something from our religion is like one who intentionally kills us. You belong to a religion that whosoever conceals it, Allah will honor him and whosoever reveals it, Allah will disgrace him.’ These circumstances are typically those that advance the cause Islam - in some cases by gaining the trust of non-believers in order to draw out their vulnerability and defeat them.
Like most religions, Islam forbids lying in general. The Quran in Surah 40:28 says,"Truly Allah guides not one who transgresses and lies."Mohammed (PUH) was also quoted in the Hadith as saying,"Be honest because honesty leads to goodness, and goodness leads to Paradise. Beware of falsehood because it leads to immorality, and immorality leads to Hell."
However, unlike most religions, there are certain provisions within Islam under which lying is not simply tolerated, but actually encouraged. In his book"The spirit of Islam,"written to promote Islam, Tabbarah stated:"Lying is not always bad, to be sure; there are times when telling a lie is more profitable and better for the general welfare, and for the settlement of conciliation among people, than telling the truth. To this effect, the Prophet says:'He is not a false person who (through lies) settles conciliation among people, supports good or says what is good."(On page 247)
Now the question is, why this puzzling duplicity within Islam? To answer this question we will examine first some examples from recent and ancient Islamic history makin g references to examples that demonstrate that lying is a common policy amongst Islamic clerics and statesmen.
Egypt was defeated by Israel and lost the Sinai Peninsula during what has come to be known as the"Six Day War"in June 1967. Subsequently, primary focus of Egypt became to regain the lost territory. President Nasser, and then, President Sadat, adopted the motto:"No voice should rise over the voice of The Battle."The soldiers that had been drafted in 1967 were kept in service and remained on high alert in the expectation that at any day"the battle"would ensue. Nonetheless, years passed and Egyptians became disgruntled with the political hype and the"no peace, no war"status. In 1972 Sadat proclaimed with finality that he swore,"I swear to you by my honor that this year will not pass by, before we launch The Battle."People believed him because he was staking his reputation and honor through an oath. To everyone's amazement the year passed without a single shot being fired. As a result many, inside and outside Egypt, began to dismiss him as a"hot air bluff". This opinion was confirmed in the following year of 1973. He made no further mention of his oath about the battle. Then in October of 1973, without warning , he launched the attack and what was known as the Yom Kippur war.As a military commander, Sadat was expected to use the element of surprise to trick the enemy. As a devout Muslim, Sadat was not the least bit concerned about his un-kept oath. He understood that the history and teachings of Islam would exempt him from spiritual accountability if he used lies as a foundation for a strategic military maneuver.
Islamic Provisions for Lying have their bases in the Qur'an. The Qur'an (16:106) establishes that there are circumstances that can"compel"a Muslim to tell a lie. The Qur'an (3:28) tells Muslims not to take those outside the faith as friends, unless it is to"guard themselves."Qur'an (40:28) says a man is introduced as a believer, but one who must"hide his faith"among those who are not believers. Further, Qur'an (2:225) has this;"Allah will not call you to account for thoughtlessness in your oaths, but for the intention in your hearts"The context of this remark is marriage, which explains why Sharia allows spouses to lie to each other for the greater good. In terms of a treaty, the Qur'an (66:2) extols,"Allah has already ordained for you, (O men), the dissolution of your oaths"
Curiously, the Qur'an (3:54) has this;"And they (the disbelievers) schemed, and Albert G. Yahaya lah schemed (against them): and Allah is the best of schemers."The Arabic word used here for scheme (or plot) is makara, which literally means deceit. If Allah is deceitful toward unbelievers, then there is little basis for denying that Muslims are allowed to do the same. (See also 8:30 and 10:21) Taken collectively these verses are interpreted to mean that there are circumstances when a Muslim may be"compelled"to deceive others for a greater purpose. Most Muslims are familiar with the principles of Islam that will justify lying in situations where they sense the need to do so. These principles are derived from passages found in the Quran and the Hadith.
In the Hadith, Mohammed, emphasizes the same concept. One passage from the Hadith quotes Mohammed as saying:"The sons of Adam are accountable for all lies except those uttered to help bring reconciliation between Muslims."The following quote demonstrates the broadness of situations in which the prophet permitted lying."The sons of Adam are accountable for all lies with these exceptions: During war because war is deception, to reconcile among two quarreling men, and for a man to appease his wife."
Al-Taqiyya as Principle.
This principle gives Muslims the liberty to lie under circumstances that they perceive as life threatening. They can even deny the faith, if they do not mean it in their hearts. Al-Taqiyya is based on the following Quranic verse:"Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution (prevention), that ye may Guard yourselves from them (prevent them from harming you.) But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah."Surah 3: 28. Esau George Isa'ac Yaro cording to this verse a Muslim can pretend to befriend infidels (in violation of the teachings of Islam) and display adherence with their unbelief to prevent them from harming him.
It is really quite impossible to deny that deceit has found a rich seedbed in Islam to deposit its roots. We see that Islam as a religious system permits and even encourages lying and deceit as a specific aspect of its religious life. The unusual combination of religion and deceit has profound implications both in matters relating to the spread of Islam.
Implication of the Principle of Taqiyya
Unfortunately, when dealing with Muslims, one must keep in mind that Muslims can communicate something with apparent sincerity, when in reality they may have just the opposite agenda in their hearts. Bluntly stated, Islam permits Muslims to lie anytime that they perceive that their own well-being, or that of Islam, is threatened.
In the sphere of politics and dialogue, the question is: Can Muslims be trusted to keep their end of the agreements that they sign with non-Muslims? Your guess is as good as mine. It is a known Islamic practice, that when Muslims are weak they can agree with almost anything. Once they become strong, then they negate what they formerly vowed.
The principle of sanctioning lying for the cause of Islam bears grave implications in matters relating to the spread of the religion of Islam. Muslim activists employ deceptive tactics in their attempts to polish Islam's image and make it more attractive to prospective converts. They carefully try to avoid, obscure, and omit mentioning any of the negative Islamic texts and teachings. An example of Islamic deception is that Muslim activists always quote the passages of the Quran from the early part of Mohammed's ministry while living in Mecca. These texts are peaceful and exemplify tolerance towards those that are not followers of Islam. All the while, they are fully aware that most of these passages were abrogated (cancelled and replaced) by passages that came after he migrated to Medina. The replacement verses reflect prejudice, intolerance, and endorse violence upon unbelievers.
In conclusion, while most people will agree that religion and deception are not marriable, it is clear that in Islam, deception and religion mutually support each other. Therefore, it is imperative to understand, that Muslim leaders can use this loop-hole in their religion, to absolve them from any permanent commitment. It is also important to know that what Muslim activists say to spread Islam may not always be the whole truth. When dealing with Muslims, what they say is not the issue because their actions speak so loudly that one cannot hear what they say. The real issue is what they actually mean in their hearts. Unfortunately, even the devil cannot read the mind of man. Quo vadis?
Notes:
1. Sunan Abu Dawood Book 14, Number 2631: Narrated Ka'b ibn Malik
2. Hadith Imam Jafar Sadiq Footnote. #1 Usool al Kafi, p.88
3. ibid. Ft. #2, Ibid, p.522
4. A Shite Encyclopedia October 1995
Revised January 2001 http:// www.al-islam.org /encyclopedia/ chapter6b/1.html
5. Ibn Kathir’s Tafsir -Surah 16:106 www.tafsir.com
6. Confirmed by At-Tabari and narrated by Abd al-Razak, Ibn Sa'd, Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Mardawayh, al-Bayhaqi in his book"al- Dala-il," http:// www.al-islam.org /encyclopedia/ chapter6b/1.html
7. Sunan al-Bayhaqi and Mustadrak al-Hakim http:// www.al-islam.org /encyclopedia/ chapter6b/1.html
8. Ibn Kathir’s Tafsir -Surah 3:28 www.tafsir.com
10. Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, v3, p61, http:// www.al-islam.org /encyclopedia/ chapter6b/1.html
11. Bukhari Volume 5, Book 59, Number 369 Narrated by Jabir bin'Abdullah
12. Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, The Reliance of the Traveller, translated by Nuh Ha Mim Keller, (Amana publications, 1997), section r8.2, p 745
13. Islam Review, Lying in Islam, Abdullah Al Araby http:// www.islamreview. com/articles/ lying.shtml
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