Is it a sin to lie to an addict and tell him that his medication is unavailable, out of fear of aiding his addiction or withholding the medication from a real patient?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Medicines are of two types: narcotics, which are not sold except with a medical prescription, and their use is permissible for dire need when no permissible alternative is available; and non-narcotics, for which the default is permissibility of sale, unless it is known or highly probable that the buyer is purchasing it for an unlawful purpose, in which case it should not be sold to him except with a medical prescription. Lying is forbidden except out of necessity or in cases where the has granted a concession. The way out is to use allusive speech (tawriya).
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/29837
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 29837
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy