Fabricating a Lie against the Prophet during His Lifetime

It might be that the Prophet (S) has warned against falsity against him after hearing that some people were fabricating lies against him though he being alive. In his book al-Ihkam fi usul al-ahkam,89 Ibn Hazm al-Zahiri reported from Abd Allah ibn Buraydah, from Ibn al-Khatib al-Aslami, that he said: A suburb of Banu Layth was situated two miles away from al-Madinah, to which some man came putting on a cloak declaring: The Messenger of Allah garbed me this vestment and commanded me to rule over you in regard of your lifeblood and properties according to my own opinion! It happened that this man asked a girl’s hand from among these people during the pre-Islamic era, but they refused to marry him, so he set forth toward her and fell to her (fornicated with her). Thereat, the people (her family and neighbours) informed the Messenger of Allah about the matter, when he said (angrily): He lied, the enemy of Allah! Then he (S) sent someone after him giving him this order: If you find him alive – which I never believe him to be so – you should behead him, and when finding him dead burn him by fire.

Ibn Sa’d in his Tabaqat and al-Tabarani reported on the authority of al-Muqanna‘ al-Tamimi that he said: I brought the Prophet the sadaqah (alms) out of our camels, when he ordered to receive it and take it to the treasury. I said to him: Two she-camels among them are a present offered to you. So he ordered to set apart the present from the sadaqah. After elapse of some days, there prevailed a talk among people that the Messenger of Allah made up his mind to delegate Khalid ibn al-Walid to Muzar slaves for collecting alms from them. I said: By God our people have no money! Then I came to the Prophet (S) saying to him: People are plunging into so and so subject (what do you say)? In reply, the Prophet raised his hands till whiteness of his armpit could be seen, declaring: O Allah, I never sanction for them to fabricate a lie against me. Al-Muqanna‘ says: Thereafter I never related from the Prophet any hadith except that which agrees to the Book or be adopted and applied by a (practical) sunnah.90 Thus was the case regarding that who would lie against him during his lifetime! So how would it be after his death? Many reports are there to demonstrate this.

Notes:

89. In vol.II, p.582.

Adapted from: "Lights on the Muhammadan Sunnah" by: "Mahmud Ali Riyyah"