The Reflection of Towriah (Prevarication) and White Lie in the Stories of the Holy Quran from the Viewpoint of Sunni and Shia Commentators

Abstract

Nooshin Rashidi Ranjbar[1] Mohammad Taqi Diari Bidgoli[2] Fatimah Sarvi[3] Abstract One of the most important moral values is honesty, the main defect of which is lying which is regarded a moral vice. Lying is forbidden in all divine religions and not permitted unless there appears an important necessity and expediency. If we are to fulfill this expediency, then lying is permitted and subject to the principle of "the most important and important", or in other word, the principle of "avoiding more corruption by means of allowing less corruption." However, stories of the Holy Quran mention some cases in which lying, or more exactly prevarication, is permitted due to a necessity and to protect individual and social expediency. For example, Prophet Yusuf (PBUH) kept his brother, Benjamin, before himself through a revealed plan, and accused his brothers of stealing. Prophet Ibrahim (PBUH) did not participate in pagan celebration in order to break the idols and pretended that he was sick. After breaking the idols and being asked about it, he attributed it to the great idol. There are other cases in the Holy Quran, from which commentators have deduced the permissibility of white lie and prevarication. [1] PhD student of sciences of the Holy Quran and hadith, University of Qom, [email protected] [2] Professor of department of sciences of the Holy Quran and hadith, University of Qom, [email protected] [3] Faculty member of department of Islamic sciences, Karaj Azad Islamic University, [email protected]

Keywords

• prevarication
• white lie
• verbal trick
• jurisprudence of the holy quran
• verses of stories
• sunni and shia