A girl is facing a problem with her fiancé who is suspicious of her. Her friend is willing to lie on her behalf to help resolve the issue. What is the ruling on this matter, and is there a need for expiation?
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1 Answer
Peace be upon you.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Khamenei and Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sistani (may Allah protect them):
Firstly, there is no expiation required in this case.
Secondly, lying is prohibited, as it involves intentionally stating something contrary to reality. A liar knowingly communicates something that is false.
Thus, what your friend is doing by lying is forbidden, but it may not be considered sinful if it falls under one of the following categories:
1. To prevent harm to oneself.
2. To prevent harm to a believer.
3. To reconcile between believers.
It is permissible to use ambiguity, which means to intend a meaning that is true but not the apparent one. However, according to Sayyid Sistani, it is obligatory to limit the cases in which lying is allowed to situations where ambiguity is not feasible.
May you be successful in all good.
Source:
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Khamenei (may Allah protect him): Special Inquiry: 1, 2.
Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sistani (may Allah protect him): Minhaj al-Salihin - Vol. 2 - Introduction - M38