First: lying that involves no right owed to another person. This means lying that harms no one and is not intended to accomplish any good, as when someone says in conversation that such-and-such happened when it never happened. Such lying is forbidden in Islamic law by scholarly consensus. It is concerning this that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “A believer cannot be a habitual liar.” That is, he cannot be a believer whose faith merits praise if lying predominates in his conduct until he becomes known for it. A person may, however, be a believer whose faith merits praise even if he is cowardly and miserly—that is, miserly in matters other than obligatory duties, since withholding what is obligatory is wickedness. Repentance consists in abandoning this and seeking forgiveness for it.
Second: lying that involves another person’s rights. This is when someone lies about another person, attributing to him something he neither did nor said, in a way that harms or disparages him. This is more serious than the first category, because repentance from it is not valid unless the liar seeks pardon from the person he has wronged, who must either willingly pardon him or exact his due from him, if the lie has established a definite claim against him.
Third: lying intended to accomplish some good for the Muslims, such as lying during war to sow dissension among the polytheists, and similar cases. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “War is deception.”
An example is the following account: “Nuʿaym ibn Masʿūd ibn ʿĀmir al-Ashjaʿī came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, during the Battle of the Trench, having embraced Islam. He said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have embraced Islam, but my people do not know of my conversion to Islam—my conversion to Islam. Command me, then, as you wish.’
“The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, replied, ‘You are only one man from Ghatafān. If you were to go out and, if possible, sow dissension among them on our behalf, that would be preferable to your remaining with us. Go, for war is deception.’
“Nuʿaym ibn Masʿūd went out and came to Banū Qurayzah, whom he used to call on before Islam. He said, ‘O Banū Qurayzah, you know my affection for you and the close ties between us.’
“They replied, ‘Speak; we do not suspect you of dishonesty.’
“He told them, ‘Quraysh and Ghatafān have come to wage war against Muhammad and his Companions, and you have supported them against him. If they see an opportunity, they will seize it; otherwise, they will return to their own lands and leave you to face the man, whom you have no power to withstand. Do not fight alongside these people until you take hostages from them.’
“He then went to Quraysh and said to them, ‘You know my affection for you, O people of