What do the scholars of the Dīn and muftīs of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue: Can one obtain benefits from a non-Muslim government by lying to them because the government in U.K. gives out many benefits. However, they have a few conditions, so can one lie to attain these benefits?
Questioner: Asif from UK
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب
It is impermissible to lie in order to obtain benefits because this is something which is untruthful and deceiving. Even though the government here are non-Muslim, it is also impermissible to deceive non-Muslims as well.
There have been many Hadīths mentioned which reprimand the telling of lies, just as the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ has stated, “There can be any trait in the nature of a believer other than deception and lying.”
[al-Musnad li al-Imām Ahmad bin Hanbal, vol 8, pg 276, Hadīth no 22232]
In other words, both of these [qualities] are in contradiction to Īmān [faith]; there is a great need for believers to avoid these.
Also, it is impermissible to do fraudulent and deceptive dealings with non-Muslims, just as Sayyidī Āla Hazrat, Imām e Ahle Sunnat, Imām Ahmad Razā Khān, may Allāh ﷻ shower countless mercies upon him, states that, “In fact, the dealings which are impermissible with a Muslim, zimmī[1] & musta’min[2] are permissible with a kāfir aslī[3], non-zimmī and non-musta’min for one’s own benefit; in which there is no fraud, as fraud and the breaching of a promise is generally harām [unlawful] with all; be it a Muslim or non-Muslim, zimmī or harbī[4], musta’min or non-musta’min, aslī or apostate.”
[Fatāwā Ridawiyyah, vol 14, pg 140]
In addition, it is stated in al-Hidāyah, Fath al-Qadīr, etc that,
“لان مالھم غیر معصوم فبای طریق اخذہ المسلم اخذ مالامباحامالم یکن غدرا”
“Because their wealth is not of respect, whichever method a Muslims obtains it will be deemed as permissible wealth, so long as there is no deception.”
[Fath al-Qadīr, vol 5, pg 254/Durr Mukhtār vol 1, pg 341]
The prohibition of deception is mentioned in many Hadīths, just like the lofty saying of the Noble Prophet ﷺ which states that,
“إِذَا جَمَعَ اللهُ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَالْآخِرِينَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، يُرْفَعُ لِكُلِّ غَادِرٍ لِوَاءٌ، فَقِيلَ: هَذِهِ غَدْرَةُ فُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَانٍ”
“When Allāh ﷻ will gather together, on the Day of Judgment, all the former and latter generations of mankind, a flag will be raised (to mark off) every person guilty of breaching faith, and it will be announced that this is the deceit of so and so, son of so and so (to attract the attention of people to his guilt).”
[Sahīh Muslim, pg 986, Hadīth no 6529]
[1] A non-Muslim in a Muslim governed territory with legal protection due to paying tax.
[2] A non-Muslim from a non-Muslim governed territory who only temporarily resides in a Muslim state for a short term via a short term contract of their safety, giving them the benefit of attaining the protected status of the zimmīs but without the need to pay tax.
[3] Someone who is a non-Muslim from the onset i.e. the opposite case compared to an apostate.
[4] A non-Muslim who does not live under the condition of zimmīs.
واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری
Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri
Translated by Haider Ali
Read the original Urdu answer here: [Q-ID0594] Can I lie to get benefits in the UK?
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