_ living islam : Islamic tradition _ https://www.livingislam.org/ Re: "War is Deception" Hadith & Related Questions Q: I have often heard of the words "War is deception" and have heard and read it as being ascribed to the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam). 1) Is the ascription of these words to the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wasallam) true? Did he utter such a thing or anything similar? A: Yes, it is narrated in the Sahihayn, Sunan and Musnad. Examples of ruse abound in the Sira and some, like ramal in tawaf, were enshrined into the Shari`a. More below. Q: 2) What is the entire incident/context of this utterance? A: The Prophet, upon him blessings and peace, heard reports that the Banu Qurayza had sent word to Abu Sufyan to send them men so that they could attack the Prophet from the side of Madina while the Quraysh would attack him from the side of the trench. This weighed heavily on the Prophet. There was among them a tattler (nammam) by the name of Mas`ud - or Nu`aym ibn Mas`ud al-Ashja`i] whom the Prophet decided to use. He told him: "It is we who advised the Banu Qurayza to send word to Abu Sufyan so that when he sends them men, they will kill them." Mas`ud could not keep himself and he went to Abu Sufyan with the news, whereupon Abu Sufyan decided not to send anyone. Narrated by Ibn Abi Shayba in his Musannaf and al-Tabari in Tahdhib al-Aathaar as stated by al-Suyuti in Asbab Wurud al-Hadith (p. 241-245) among other occasions when this hadith was uttered. > 3) If this ascription true, then does the hadith provide legal permissibility for lying to the enemy during war time in order to gain strategic advantage? For disinforming the enemy. Ruse is a very basic age-old convention of war and the measure of true military leadership as it proves superior to sheer force and superiority in numbers, and avoids bloodshed to achieve important gains. It was discussed by Sun Tzu and Julius Caesar centuries before Islam and in the previous century by Baron von Clausewitz in his manual On War ("Vom Kriege") among many others. He wrote: "CHAPTER X. STRATAGEM "STRATAGEM implies a concealed intention, and therefore is opposed to straightforward dealing, in the same way as wit is the opposite of direct proof. It has therefore nothing in common with means of persuasion, of self-interest, of force, but a great deal to do with deceit, because that likewise conceals its object. It is itself a deceit as well when it is done, but still it differs from what is commonly called deceit, in this respect that there is no direct breach of word. "The deceiver by stratagem leaves it to the person himself whom he is deceiving to commit the errors of understanding which at last, flowing into one result, suddenly change the nature of things in his eyes. We may therefore say, as wit is a sleight of hand with ideas and conceptions, so stratagem is a sleight of hand with actions....." >Can this be taken further to argue that agreements of cease-fire made with the enemy can be violated prior to their date of expire? No. Deceit and ruse, which is the word khud`a (or khad`a or khid`a - it has a tri-voweled initial) in this hadith is different from treachery and dishonesty - ghadr and ghishsh - which is forbidden. A violation is a breach of the word given and a breakdown of law, while ruse is a dissembling within the confines of law. Examples from the conquest of Makka: - Just before reaching Makka, the Prophet, upon him blessings and peace, dispersed men all over the surrounding mountains and ordered them to light up huge fires, giving the appearance that the Muslims had an army ten times their actual size. This defeated any volition of resistance among the Quraysh. -When entering Makka, the Prophet, upon him blessings and peace, ordered his army to enter the gate single-file and at long intervals, making their entrance into the city interminable and much more dramatic: the Meccans' impression of the Muslim army as huge was reinforced. - The Muslims were told to circumambulate the Ka`ba at a quick pace (ramal) and show off their muscles, with their right shoulders bared, although they were exhausted from the travel from Madina. This show of force further clinched the Meccans' psychological defeat. In the Hanafi Madhhab it is better to rise from sujud to qiyam unaided by the hands for the expressed purpose of showing physical strength to any would-be enemies watching. For the same reason, only in jihad is a white or gray-haired man allowed to dye his hair and beard black, while if he does so to marry, it is fraud and haram. > 4) Taking this one step further [in fact several steps further], can one argue then, that the standard for personal behavior is different in Islam than for the behavior of nations & states? Even in personal situations of vulnerability we are allowed to deflect harm by verbal or other ruse, and Allah Most High knows best. GF Haddad 2009-03-13