162. Is lying allowed while propagating religion?
Verse (6:76-78) says Prophet Ibrahim initially believed the stars to be God, then the Moon and then the Sun, finally he came to the conclusion all these could never be the creator.
But Prophet Ibrahim was never a person who equated God with anything or anyone. is said in verses 2:135, 3:67, 3:95, 6:161, 16:120, 16:123
Since Prophet Ibrahim was never a creator of equals to God,his initial beliefs on stars,moon and sun as God was nothing but to make people understand gradually who God is.
If Prophet Ibrahim had real belief in them to be God then the phrase “He was never a creator of an equal to God would be belied.
If it is to be taken as his beliefs prior to becoming a Prophet, even such a conclusion is wrong..
Because Allah says in verse (6:83) of the Quran “ We provided this evidence to Ibrahim”. Hence it needs to be concluded that Prophet Ibrahim argued on the basis of what was provided by Allah to him.Prophet Ibrahim used a strategy to make people understand the truth about God.
The lesson that needs to be understood from his history is, we can convey messages gradually to people to better understand.
We can take this verse as a proof to propagate good messages via a method that is not considered contradictory to the Quran.
And Allah also approved the way of Prophet Ibrahim as can be seen in verse (6:83) of the Quran.
Just as Prophet Ibrahim lied to people to make them understand and reform, some misuse the strategy on the same lines.
Some want to follow the footsteps of others who spread messages like ‘the blind see and the deaf hear’ etc, this is entirely wrong, showing the method of Prophet Ibrahim as theirs.
Because messages like the ‘blind see’ etc are spread with a motive that people should believe them where as it is not true.And believe are carried away to believe the same.
But Prophet Ibrahim did not believe in what he said about the stars , moon, and sun and neither did he want the people to believe .He did not say these words to convince people to accept these objects as God.
He brought the people a step further by sending the message that stars were far more powerful by shining and giving light than powerless idols. .
By saying the moon has more power than the stars in lighting he brings the people a step further up.
Moon is not big enough to be called as God, people need something big like the sun to be called as God, hence he makes the people think sharper and stops at the sun..
Later he lets people think and arrive in terms of a Creator of the entire universe as God.
There is a model for us to follow in Prophet Ibrahim’s method to make people at the lowest ebb of belief to realize God.
Those that resort to lies while propagating religion do it with the purpose that people believe in the wrong ideology. and want the people to remain in it. There is no connection between the lies by those who want people to remain in the wrong ideology and that of Prophet Ibrahim’s methodology in propagating religion.
To know more about this please refer to explanation points 236, 336, 432.
