Fatwa ID: 06933

Answered by: Maulana Abdul Malik

Question:

Is the money gained back from returning items by telling a white lie and accepted by the employee of the company haram?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

A Muslim is not allowed to tell lies and deceive others.

In this regard, Abdullah narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: 

“You must be truthful. Verily, truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man continues to be truthful and encourages honesty until he is recorded with Allah as truthful. And beware of falsehood. Verily, falsehood leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the Hellfire. A man continues to tell lies and encourages falsehood until he is recorded with Allah as a liar.” (Sahih al Muslim, hadith # 2607) [1]

Abu Hurairah narrated: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed a man who was selling grain. He asked him: How are you selling? He informed him. Revelation then came down to him saying: “Put your hand into it.” So he put his hand into it, and felt that it was damp. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: “He who deceives has nothing to do with us.” (Sunan Abu Dawood, hadith # 3452)[2]

In light of the above it is impermissible to tell lies and deceive others in transactions. This should be avoided at all times. Money received by means of deception should be returned.

[1] عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَصْدُقُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الصِّدْقَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ صِدِّيقًا وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَكْذِبُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الْكَذِبَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَذَّابًا ‏”‏ ‏.‏

[2] عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّ بِرَجُلٍ يَبِيعُ طَعَامًا فَسَأَلَهُ ‏”‏ كَيْفَ تَبِيعُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَأُوحِيَ إِلَيْهِ أَنْ أَدْخِلْ يَدَكَ فِيهِ فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِيهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ مَبْلُولٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ غَشَّ

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Abdul Malik

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham