Deobandi Fatwa: Allowed to Manifestly LIE نعوذ بالله

Deobandi Fatwa: “Allowed to Lie!”

The Deobandi mulla Rashid Ahmad Gangohi issued a Fatwa in his Fatawa Rashidiyya permitting people to not only lie, but proverbially “lie through one's teeth”! Under the heading

کچہری میں جھوٹ بولنا

(Lying in Court)

the following question is asked:

سوال: -ایک مقدمہ امر واقعی اور سچّا ہے اور قاعدہ قانون انگریزی کے خلاف ہے اس میں اپنے استیفائے حق کے واسطے اگر تھوڑا سا کذب ملایا جاوے تو جائز ہے یا نہیں۔

Question: “A person is true in his complaint (or litigation) but not so according to the English law. Under such circumstances, for the purpose of acquiring one's just right, is it permissible to enter a bit of falsehood into one's testimony (before a court of law)?”

*Note: Obviously the answer is no to this question, since giving false testimony is strictly forbidden according to the teachings of Islam (even if telling the pure truth will hurt one's case) as Allah (Azza wa Jall) says in the Qur'an al-Karim:

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا کُوۡنُوۡا قَوّٰمِیۡنَ بِالۡقِسۡطِ شُہَدَآءَ لِلّٰہِ وَ لَوۡ عَلٰۤی اَنۡفُسِکُمۡ اَوِ الۡوَالِدَیۡنِ وَ الۡاَقۡرَبِیۡنَ ۚ اِنۡ یَّکُنۡ غَنِیًّا اَوۡ فَقِیۡرًا فَاللّٰہُ اَوۡلٰی بِہِمَا ۟ فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا الۡہَوٰۤی اَنۡ تَعۡدِلُوۡا ۚ وَ اِنۡ تَلۡوٗۤا اَوۡ تُعۡرِضُوۡا فَاِنَّ اللّٰہَ کَانَ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ خَبِیۡرًا

Translation: O you who believe, be upholders of justice - witnesses for Allah, even though against (the interest of) your selves or the parents, and the kinsmen. One may be rich or poor, Allah is better caretaker of both. So do not follow desires, lest you should swerve. If you twist or avoid (the evidence), then, Allah is all-aware of what you do (Surah 4:135)

Now in complete violation and disregard for the commandment of Allah Most High, the sneaky and cunning Deobandi mulla Rashid Gangohi registered the following Fatwa in reply to this query:

جواب: احیاء حق کے واسطے کذب درست ہے مگرتا امکان تعریض سے کام لے اگر ناچار ہو تو کذب صریح بولے ورنہ احتراز رکھے۔فقط

Translation: “Answer: For the propagation of truth, lying is correct. But if possible, attempt to fight the issue, otherwise, if that doesn't work, then speak manifest falsehood!”

Reference: Talifat-e-Rashidiya (Fatawa Rashidiya); p.457