Question:

Did the well-known scholar Abu Al-Qasim Al-Khu’i reject the traditions that Abraham (a.) did not lie and as a result attributed lying (كذب) to him?

Response:

Abu Al-Qasim Al-Khu’i writes: ,,However the reports that have been mentioned are all weak (Da’if) in terms of the chain of transmission just as the rest of the reports, that I looked at in the narrations that have been recorded also have weak (Da’if) chains of transmission and unknown narrators. For this reason, it is not possible to rely on them in any way. Lifting the veil: One could think, that there is no way around the fact that the mentioned statements of Abraham (a.) and Joseph (a.) are lies. The fact is that they are among the permissible lies (Akadhib). As for the statement of Abraham (a.): ,,I am sick.” (37:89) And the statement of Joseph (a.): ,,You of the caravan, you are thieves!” (12:70) So lying (Kadhib) is clearly found confirmed among them.” [Misbah-ul-Faqahah, Volume 1 page 400 – 401]

قال أبو القاسم الخوئي: ولكن الروايات المذكورة كلها ضعيفة السند، كما أن بقية الأحاديث التي اطلعت عليها في القصص المزبورة مشتملة على ضعف السند أيضا وجهالة في الراوي، فلا يمكن الاستناد إليها بوجه رفع غشاوة قد يتوهم أنه لا محيص أن تكون أقوال إبراهيم ويوسف المذكورة كاذبة غاية الأمر أنها من الأكاذيب الجائزة، أما قول إبراهيم عليه السلام إني سقيم وقول يوسف عليه السلام أيتها العير إنكم لسارقون فصدق الكذب عليهما واضح

Comment:

We reject the opinion of Al-Khu’i and follow the traditions which absolve Abraham [Here!] and Joseph [Here!] from lying (كذب).