Question:
Assalamualaikum SS Mufti. What is the status of one’s income who works in halal occupations, but he cheated in the exam before and used the certificate to get the job?
Hope for an explanation from SS Mufti. Thank you.
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Firstly, we already answer a bit of the issue in our article entitled Al-Kafi #676: The Ruling of Cheating in Exam. In that article, we stressed out that the ruling of cheating in exams is haram and sinful. This is because a person who cheated is doing a fabrication. The Prophet PBUH said:
وَمَنْ غَشَّنَا فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا
and he who acted dishonestly towards us is not of us.
Sahih Muslim (101)
Besides, we also state that this is the cause of our societal problem where unqualified persons are appointed to important posts in the society based on certificates acquired through unauthorized way like cheating during exams or fake certificate. We already explain on this issue. Kindly refer to the article Al-Kafi #4: The Ruling of Fabricating Certificate to Acquire Job.
In a hadith narrated from Abu Hurairah RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
" إِذَا ضُيِّعَتِ الأَمَانَةُ فَانْتَظِرِ السَّاعَةَ ". قَالَ كَيْفَ إِضَاعَتُهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ " إِذَا أُسْنِدَ الأَمْرُ إِلَى غَيْرِ أَهْلِهِ، فَانْتَظِرِ السَّاعَةَ "
"When honesty is lost, then wait for the Hour." It was asked, "How will honesty be lost, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" He said, "When authority is given to those who do not deserve it, then wait for the Hour."
Sahih al-Bukhari (6496)
Imam Badruddin al-‘Ainiy when commenting on this hadith stated that the matter meant in the hadith is specific on what is related to religious matter. He said:
و الأمر جنس الأمور التي تتعلق بالدين كالخلافة والإمارة والقضاء والإفتاء وغير ذلك
The matter (what is meant in the hadith) is what is related to the religion like khilafah, governance, judiciary, fatwa and the like. (Refer ‘Umdat al-Qari Syarh Sahih al-Bukhari, 23:128)
Therefore, it is worrying if these important posts are given to a person with no honesty and no capability. This is because it leads the society towards misuse of power if the doer still not repented and his tasks cannot be done in the best way.
However, if it already happened and the doer also regretted his doing and have a determination to not repeat it again, as well as able to do his task perfectly, here we give some advices as the following:
- The doer should comply with the conditions for repentance to make sure he truly repents voluntarily, have determination to not repeat it forever as well as asking for forgiveness if he has taken any individual’s rights.
- If he takes others’ rights or belongings, then he should ask for forgiveness from the person whose right was taken from and if the person asks to give back his right taken, then he should give it back. This is as what is mentioned by Imam al-Nawawi on the conditions for tawbah, which are:
ويضاف إليها الخروج من المظالم بأن يبرأ العاصي من حق صاحبها، فإن كانت المعصية أخذ مال أو نحوه بدون حق رده إليه، وإن كان الفعل قذفاً ونحوه مكن المقذوف منه أو طلب عفوه. وإن كان غيبة استحله منها وطلب مسامحته عن طعنه فيه في غيبته
And it is added from the conditions for tawbah which are related to the rights of other humans, in which a person should free himself from the right taken unlawfully from others. If it is in the form of property or the like, then he should return it (to those who he has taken the right from). If it is in the form of false accusation or the like, then he should clear his name or asking for apology from him. If it is in the form of ghibah, then he should ask for his forgiveness. (Refer Riyadh al-Salihin: 41-42)
- The doer should gain more knowledge and personal skills so that he may complete the amanah (task given) perfectly while even surpassing people with the real qualification. Therefore, he is eligible for that post and be given wages due to his expertise and capability to carry the task. So, his provision becomes halal for him. Allah SWT says:
إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تُؤَدُّوا الْأَمَانَاتِ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا وَإِذَا حَكَمْتُم بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَن تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ نِعِمَّا يَعِظُكُم بِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ كَانَ سَمِيعًا بَصِيرًا
Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.
Surah al-Nisaa’ (58)
- Give sadaqah from the wage acquired from the job so that it may be blessed and loved by Allah SWT.
We also would like to advise that cheating during exams should be avoided and evaded as far as one could and would because it is a falsehood and we should be honest to our own-self by getting a result reasonable to what we put our effort into. The Prophet PBUH said:
عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ, فَإِنَّ اَلصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى اَلْبِرِّ, وَإِنَّ اَلْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى اَلْجَنَّةِ, وَمَا يَزَالُ اَلرَّجُلُ يَصْدُقُ, وَيَتَحَرَّى اَلصِّدْقَ, حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اَللَّهِ صِدِّيقًا, وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ, فَإِنَّ اَلْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى اَلْفُجُورِ, وَإِنَّ اَلْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى اَلنَّارِ, وَمَا يَزَالُ اَلرَّجُلُ يَكْذِبُ, وَيَتَحَرَّى اَلْكَذِبَ, حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اَللَّهِ كَذَّابًا
“Adhere (you people) to truth, for truth leads to good deeds and good deeds lead to Paradise, and if a man continues to speak the truth and makes truth his object he will be recorded as truthful before Allah. Avoid (you people) falsehood, for falsehood leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to Hell, and if a man continues to speak falsehood and makes falsehood his object he will be recorded as a liar before Allah.”
Sahih al-Bukhari (6094) and Sahih Muslim (2607)
May Allah SWT give us true understanding in His Shari’a as well as taufiq and hidayah to do our worship solemnly due to Allah SWT. Ameen.
Wallahu a’lam.