Hazrat Nanotawi’s abstention from lying

[Sabbir_1]

Warrant of arrest had been issued against Maulana Muhammed Qasim Nanotawi and the police were looking for him in all places. He was sitting in the mosque of chhattah. The police raided that mosque where the saint was sitting all alone. On hearing the name of Maulana Nanotawi it occurs to the mind that he must be putting on imposing and costly garments, but there was nothing of this sort. He always wore a loin – cloth and an ordinary kurta (shirt). When the Police entered the mosque they took him for a servant of the mosque and asked about Maulana Muhammed Qasim: The Maulana stood up from his place moved back one step and said: Jus now he was here. By so saying he gave the police an impression that at that moment he was not there, without telling that he was not there. This would have been telling a lie. The police therefore, went away without doing any harm to him.

This is an illustration of the fact that devoted servants of Allah avoid telling lies even in such critical moments of danger and save themselves by taking resort to cleaver, ambiguous phrases instead of clear-cut lies. It may be noted that shari’ah has permitted us to tell lies in such critical situations when word of ambiguous and vague import are hot helpful. It is however, unlawful and forbidden to take advantage of this permission so frequently in our daily dealings, as this involves the sin of bearing false witness. May Allah save us all from this sin, Aameen.