Question:
Answer:
The one who says that “Allah is capable of telling lies”, he should be asked as to what does he mean by this statement?
Every honest person is capable of speaking lies, but knowing that the Shari’ah has prohibited it, he abstains from doing so. Therefore, to have the ability of speaking lies is not a deficiency. However, to speak lies is a deficiency and a sin.
Those promises which are mentioned in the Qur’an for those who bring Imaan and carry out good deeds will definitely be fulfilled by Allah and Allah will not breach His promises.
Regarding the punishment of the Kuffaar which has been mentioned in the Qur’an, the opinion of the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaa’ah is that they will be punished, as Allah himself has stated that He will not go against His word. However, it will not be incumbent upon Allah to punish them in a sense that if He does not do so, then He will be questioned as to why they were not punished. Allah is the sovereign; He may do as He pleases. No one has the right to question His authority.
In the Qur’an it is mentioned that on the day of Qiyaamah, Allah will ask Isaa (A.S.): “Did you command the Bani Israa’eel that they should take you and your mother as deities apart from Allah?” Hazrat Isaa (A.S.) will deny this and eventually say: “If Thou punishes them, then indeed they are Thy servants, and if Thou forgive them, then truly only Thou Art the All Mighty, All Wise.” (Al-Ma’edah, verse 118)
From this verse it is clearly understood that, if Allah forgives the disbelievers then this is a display of His authority and command. Therefore, nobody has the right to object to the decision of Allah. We should also bear in mind that forgiving the Kuffaar is based on His wisdom, and He is The All Wise.
Considering the fact that Allah can forgive the Kuffaar, some individuals’ claim that Allah has the ability of speaking lies, but in reality it is no lie e.g. If a father announces that “I will never forgive my disobedient son.” However he later forgives him, then he will not be called a liar, rather we will say that the father had a choice of either forgiving him or not, and he merely made a decision which he was free to make.
In conclusion, we would say, that instead of claiming that Allah has the ability of speaking lies, we should adopt another path which teaches us that Allah acts as He wishes due to His Qudrat and free will.
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Mufti Muhammad Ashraf
Darul Iftaa
Jameah Mahmoodiyah
Springs
25 April 2005
16 Rabee’ul Awwal 1426