The ninth point: Suppose that the intended meaning is: those known to be truthful. Yet the knowledge meant here is of the same kind as that in His words:

“If you know them to be believers.”

[Surah al-Mumtahinah: 10]

Faith is less readily discerned than truthfulness. Since it is untenable to say of the knowledge stipulated there, “Such knowledge is possible only regarding someone who is infallible,” it is likewise untenable to say here, “Only the truthfulness of someone who is infallible can be known” (1).

The tenth point: Suppose (2) that what is meant is: “We know him to be truthful.” But it may be said that Abū Bakr, Umar, Uthmān, and others like them are among those whose truthfulness is known and who are known not to lie deliberately. Although they may err or commit certain sins, lying is graver. For this reason, according to one of the two scholarly opinions, a witness’s testimony is rejected for a single lie; this is also one of the two reports from Ahmad. A hadith with an omitted Companion link has been narrated concerning this (3).

We can know with certainty that these men did not deliberately lie about the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—and indeed never deliberately lied at all. We do not concede that we can know a person to be free of lying only if he is known to be absolutely infallible. Rather, there are many people of whom, after observing them closely, you can be certain that they do not lie, even though they may err and commit other sins. Nor do we concede that every person who is not infallible could deliberately lie.

This runs counter to reality, for only the worst people deliberately lie. None of these Companions would deliberately lie about the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—and scholars know of necessity that men such as Mālik, Shubah, and Yahyā ibn