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Should You Confess a Harmless Lie?

Q: If someone lied to someone, but that lie neither cause the person harm nor benefits the one who lied. The one who spoke a lie is already ashamed for his this act in front of Allah so still is there any need that he should rectify by revealing to that person too?

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A: If he caused any deeni or dunyawi (worldly) harm to the one he lied to, he should inform the person and seek forgiveness for the harm he caused. And if he did not cause any deeni or dunyawi (worldly) harm to the one he lied to, then he should seek forgiveness from Allah Ta’aala for the sin of speaking lies. 

وعن أَبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم المسلم أخو المسْلم ، لا يخونه ، ولا يكذبه ، ولا يخذله ، كلّ المسلم على المسلم حرام عرضه وماله ودمه ، التَّقوى هاهنا ، بحسب امرىء من الشّرّ ن يحقر أخاه المسلم ) رواه الترمذي ، وقال : حديث حسن . (رياض الصالحين)

عن سفيان بن أسيد الحضرمى قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول كبرت خيانة أن تحدث أخاك حديثا هو لك به مصدق وأنت له به كاذب.(رواه أبو داود 2/331)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

This answer was collected from MuftiOnline.co.za, where the questions have been answered by Mufti Zakaria Makada (Hafizahullah), who is currently a senior lecturer in the science of Hadith and Fiqh at Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, South Africa.