Answered Shaykh Yūsuf Badāt
Question:
A question came to mind and I think it was about the consequence if someone said the Prophet (peace be upon him) lied and I may have been thinking about if someone said this about all the prophets. The question may have been if they said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) may have lied before the announcement of prophethood. I said to myself this is kufr (disbelief), then at one point I was thinking about what is mentioned in the Sharḥ of the Sanūsiyyah that I have. It mentions what is obligatory to believe about Prophets. This is where I wonder if I had a thought that I need to search elsewhere. I think it was on my mind that ‘yajibu’ the word that I thought was in the book, it may not entail belief in opposition to kufr and this is what I feared afterwards. I wanted to check elsewhere also and the reason may have been this as I may thought about a footnote where an author said belief in certain matters was obligatory but the commentator commented and said in the footnote that some matters mentioned are differed over. There was a fear with me for some time that I did fall into kufr by denying or doubting and eventually I read the shahādah intending to repent from kufr.
I do not recall ever saying to myself that it was acceptable or valid for a person to hold the belief about lying. The fear I had was doubting, hesitating, fearing denying about the word yajibu in this context. Did I fall into kufr?
Also as for the one who says the Prophet (peace be upon him) may have lied before he announced his prophethood but not after?
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathābah Institute.
If a muslim says, “The Prophet lied” believing that the Prophet did lie, then this results in kufr (disbelief). In such a situation, one must repent and re-enter Islam by reiterating their belief in Islam with the shahādah (testimony of faith). To the contrary, if it was a mere thought, doubt or devilish whisper then one has not committed kufr. All prophets are sinless prior and post prophethood, therefore a prophet never lies. – (See: Tafsīr Al-Māturīdī, Vol 1, Page 178, Dār Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmīyyah[1], Usūl Al-Dīn, Vol 1, Page 482, Dār Al-Sami’ie[2], Sharḥ Al-Ṭaḥāwīyyah, Vol 2, Page 20, Al-Maktabah Al-Shāmilah[3])
“Your companion [Muḥammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred, nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed.” – (Qur’ān 53:2-4)[4]
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allāh has forgiven my followers the evil thoughts that occur in their minds, as long as such thoughts are not put into action or uttered.” – (Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 5269)[5]
Only Allāh knows best
[1] يقول شارح الفقه الأكبر إن الأنبياء عليهم السلام معصومون عن الكذب خصوصًا فيما يتعلق بأمر الشرع وتبليغ الأحكام وإرشاد الأمة إما عمدًا وإما سهوًا عمدًا فبالإجماع وسهوًا عند الأكثرين وفي عصمتهم عن سائر الذنوب تفصيل وهو أنهم معصومون عن الكفر قبل الوحي وبعده بالإجماع وكذا عن تعمد الكبائر عند الجمهور وأما سهوًا فجوزه الأكثرون – تفسير الماتريدي ج ١ / ص ١٧٨ دار الكتب العلمية
[2] وذهب بعض أئمة سمرقند أن الأنبياء معصومون من الكبائر والصغائر والزلات جميعا ومنهم من يرى أن الأنبياء معصومون من الكبائر مطلقا ومن الصغائر عمدا وهذا عليه بعض الأشاعرة والماتريدية – كتاب أصول الدين عند الإمام أبي حنيفة ج ١/ ص ٤٨٢ دار الصميعي
[3] الأنبياء معصومون من الخطأ ولكن في يوم القيامة كل نبي يعد خطأه، فما توجيه ذلك؟ ليس هناك مانع من أن يخطئ النبي في غير الوحي فإن الوحي لا يخطئ فيه النبي لكن غير الوحي يمكن أن يحصل منه الخطأ فإذا حصل منه الخطأ فإنه يتوب منه في الدنيا وأما الكبائر فإنهم معصومون منها – كتاب شرح الطحاوية ج ٢/ ص٢٠ المكتبة الشاملة الحديثة
[4] مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰ وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ – سورة النجم ٢ – ٤
[5] عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضى الله عنه عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَجَاوَزَ عَنْ أُمَّتِي مَا حَدَّثَتْ بِهِ أَنْفُسَهَا مَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ أَوْ تَتَكَلَّمْ – رواه البخاري ٥٢٦٩