that the deeds of ʿĀmir ibn al-Akwaʿ were void because he had killed himself unintentionally. The Prophet replied:

“Whoever says that has lied; he was indeed a steadfast warrior who strove in God’s cause.”

Conformity between a report and reality may relate to the speaker’s intention, or it may relate to the listener’s understanding. If the wording matches what the speaker intended while failing to match what the listener understands, this too may be called a lie—though it is not always labelled as such. Within this category fall the permissible equivocal expressions (maʿārīḍ). These are allowed when there is a genuine need, even if they do not fully achieve the aim; in fact, a person may be required to remain silent about the matter altogether unless he can present clear evidence. Even so, he might still be branded a liar on account of the Almighty’s words:

“Why did they not bring four witnesses? And since they failed to bring the witnesses, then in the sight of Allah they are the liars.” (Qur’an 24:13)