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Refutations

"Ibrahim Only Told Three Lies" — What Did the Prophet ﷺ Mean? Al-Nawawi, Ibn al-Jawzi & Al-Razi Explained

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Ibrahim’s Three Lies — Hadith Analysis & Scholar Commentary

Table of Contents

The Hadith Text

Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Ibrahim only told three lies, two of which were for the sake of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic. His saying: {Indeed, I am ill} and his saying: {Rather, this chief of them did it}.

He said: While he was with Sarah one day, a tyrant came to him and it was said to him: There is a man here with a woman who is one of the most beautiful people. So he sent for him and asked him about her. He said: Who is this? He said: My sister. So he went to Sarah and said: O Sarah, there is no believer on the face of the earth except me and you. This man asked me and I told him that you are my sister, so do not lie to me.”

Scholar Commentary

1. Imam al-Nawawi — Sharh Muslim

Reference Imam al-Nawawi, Sharh Muslim (6/100)

Al-Maziri’s Position

Al-Maziri As for lying in the way of conveying the message of Allah, the Prophets are infallible from it, whether it is a lot or a little. As for that which is not related to conveying the message, and is considered one of the attributes, such as a single lie in a trivial worldly matter, then there are two well-known sayings of the early Muslims and later Muslims about the possibility of it occurring from them and their infallibility from it.

Al-Qadi Iyad’s Position

Al-Qadi Iyad — The Correct View The correct view is that lying in the way of conveying the message is inconceivable from them, whether we allow minor sins from them and they are infallible from it or not, and whether the lie is little or much; because the position of prophethood is elevated from them, and allowing it removes trust in their words.

As for his saying ﷺ (two for the sake of Allah Almighty and one for the sake of Sarah), its meaning is that the lies mentioned are only in relation to the understanding of the addressee and the listener, but in reality they are not reprehensible lies for two reasons:

One of them is that he concealed them, so he said about Sarah: My sister in Islam, and this is correct in essence, and we will mention, Allah willing, the interpretation of the other two words.

The second reason is that if it were a lie without concealment in it, it would be permissible in repelling oppressors, and the jurists have agreed that if an oppressor came looking for a hidden person to kill him, or asked for a trust of a person to take it by force, and asked about that, it is obligatory for the one who knows that to conceal it and deny knowing about it, and this is a permissible lie, rather it is obligatory because it is in repelling the oppressor — so the Prophet ﷺ pointed out that these lies are not included in the absolute reprehensible lie.

Al-Maziri — On Using the Term “Lie” Some of them interpreted these words and excluded them from being lies. He said: There is no point in refraining from using a term that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used.
Al-Nawawi’s Response As for using the term lie on her, it is not forbidden because the hadith mentioned it, and as for its interpretation, it is correct and there is no objection to it.

On the Third Lie — Sarah

The Scholars’ Explanation — Why Sarah’s Case is Also “For Allah” The scholars said: The one that is about Sarah is also in the essence of Allah Almighty; because she is the reason for preventing an unjust disbeliever from committing a great obscenity, and this was explained in a hadith other than Muslim, where he said: There is no lie in it except what brought her away from Islam, meaning he argues and defends.

They said: He only specified the two as being in the essence of Allah Almighty because the third included benefit for him and a portion in addition to being in the essence of Allah Almighty.

Interpretation of “Indeed, I am ill”

Scholarly Interpretations They mentioned in his statement: (Indeed, I am sick):
  • Meaning: I will become sick, because man is susceptible to illnesses — and he intended by that an apology for not going out with them to their festival and witnessing their falsehood and disbelief.
  • It was said: I am sick because of what was decreed for me of death.
  • It was said: He was suffering from fever at that time.

Interpretation of “Rather, their chief did it”

Scholarly Interpretations
  • Ibn Qutaybah and a group said: He made speech a condition for the action of their chief, meaning that their chief did it if they could speak.
  • Al-Kisa’i said: He stops at his statement, “Rather, he did it,” meaning that its doer did it, so he implied it — then he begins by saying, “This is their chief, so ask them about that doer.”
  • The majority of scholars said that it should be taken literally, and the answer to it is what came before.
Closing And God knows best.

2. Imam Ibn al-Jawzi — Kashf al-Mushkil

Reference Imam Ibn al-Jawzi, Kashf al-Mushkil min Hadith al-Sahihayn (1/982)
Ibn al-Jawzi — Core Principle Know that lying is not permissible for the prophets under any circumstances. This is a principle that should be believed and not contradicted by individual reports, as it is proven by stronger evidence than it. Rather, the meaning is that Ibrahim said something that resembles lying.
Abu Bakr ibn al-Anbari Ibrahim’s words were true upon investigation. Rather, the Prophet ﷺ meant that he said something that resembled lying in appearance, but it was not a lie.
Ibn Aqil — Rational Argument The evidence of reason is the apparent meaning of this wording, and that is because reason has determined that the Messenger should be trusted in order to know the truth of what he brought from Allah. There is no trust when lying is permissible for him, so how about when lying is present from him? The mention of lying was borrowed because it is in the form of lying, so he called it a lie metaphorically, and nothing else is permissible.
Ibn al-Jawzi’s Conclusion Know that those words were from Ibrahim in the form of metaphors, but the prophets are wary of a word that resembles lying. Therefore, al-Khalil will say, when it is said to him on the Day of Resurrection, “Intercede for us, for I have lied.”

The explanation that it was in the form of metaphors:

  • Al-Kisa’i: He would stop at his saying (rather he did it) and say he did it from his doing it.
  • Ibn Qutaybah: Its meaning is that if they speak, then their leader did it.
  • Likewise (I am sick) meaning I will become sick — so it is like the saying of the Most High (you are mortal) meaning you will die.

3. Imam Muhammad bin Anwar Al-Kashmiri — Al-Aref Al-Shadhi

Reference Imam Muhammad bin Anwar Al-Kashmiri, Al-Aref Al-Shadhi Sharh Sunan Al-Tirmidhi (3/387)
Al-Kashmiri — Consensus of Scholars His saying (three lies, etc.) — the scholars agreed that the three are euphemisms, not blatant lies.

Addition — Imam Al-Razi’s Weakening of the Hadith

Reference Imam Al-Razi, Al-Tafsir Al-Kabeer (22/185)
Al-Razi — Weakening the Hadith Know that some of the literalists narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that he said: Ibrahim did not lie except three lies. So I said: It is better not to accept such reports.

He said in a way of denunciation: If we do not accept it, then we must accuse the narrators of lying.

So I said to him: O poor thing, if we say it, then we must rule that Ibrahim عليه السلام is a liar, and if we want it, then we must rule that the narrators are lying — and there is no doubt that protecting Ibrahim from lying is better than protecting a group of unknown people from lying.

Ibn Adil Al-Hanbali on Al-Razi

Imam Ibn Adil Al-Hanbali — Al-Lubab fi Ulum Al-Kitab (16/324) Transmitted the opinion of Imam Al-Razi and accepted it.