Lying to protect property

Question

Zayd was a man of property. Fed up with the vile deeds and indecent conduct of his wife Hinda, and so that Hinda would not benefit from his property, he transferred his property into the names of his relatives by means of sale deeds. Then, six years later, he divorced Hinda (talaq) and removed her from his marriage, and Hinda waived the mahr. At the time of the talaq Zayd had a suckling daughter of his own, who stayed with her mother Hinda, and Zayd passed away. Hinda took another husband.

Answer

Explicit lying is haram in the Shari‘a, so Zayd’s relatives have no latitude to lie explicitly. However, if the intention of Zayd’s relatives is not to keep the property for themselves but rather a sincere intention for the sake of Allah that Sa‘ida’s property remain safe and that when she grows up they will give her all the property, then it is appropriate for them to adopt…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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