How sound is the story of Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah with the King of the Romans, and is it permissible to circulate it? Is it permissible for Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah to swear to kill Christians, given the hadith, "Whoever kills a soul with whom there is a covenant will not smell the fragrance of Paradise"? Is this oath considered a lie for the sake of Muslim honor and greatness, and is it permissible to lie under oath for the purpose of threat and intimidation?

Ibn Abd Rabbih and Al-Sallabi mention the story of Yazid threatening the Christians with (losing) the land of the Arabs after the death and burial of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. This story has not been authenticated or weakened. It appears that Yazid's intention was to prevent the Byzantine emperor from desecrating the Companion's grave, as a form of intimidation and warning, not as a lie. This is supported by the fact that he was not the Caliph at the time, but rather Mu'awiyah. As for the ruling on narrating the story, there is no harm in it. The general rule for lying is prohibition, except for what some scholars have permitted for a praiseworthy purpose that cannot be achieved otherwise.