Fatwa ID: 08123
Answered by: Alimah Maryam Badshah
Question:
In my university degree, I cheated on my assignments. I also cheated in high school. I want to know if the income from using the university/high school degree will be haram? I also want to know if one saw a ruling that said income was halal and continued to cheat, would the income still be halal in this case? Is seeking repentance possible if one did it again despite knowing that they shouldn’t and vowed not to?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The Prophet (saw) said: “Truthfulness leads to piety, and piety leads to Paradise, and a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies until he is written before Allah a liar.” (Sahih Bukhari) [1]
You can see from the above hadeeth the consequences of repeating a sin. Minor sins are impermissible actions whose consequences have not been specifically mentioned, such as cheating in school exams. However, it is important to keep in mind that minor sins become major sins when they are committed repeatedly, heedlessly, or without regret or repentance. Minor sins are forgiven through seeking forgiveness and committing good deeds. [2]
It would seem that a person who continues to cheat after reading that their income would be considered halal has missed the purpose of the fatwa they have read. If a person had cheated in their education that led to them achieving the position they have, then afterward acknowledged their wrong and sincerely repented, then Allah (swt) has said that He will forgive the one who asks for forgiveness. A person who plans to repeat that sin is ignoring the fact that the oath they made was to Allah (swt) when they vowed to never do that deed again.
As a final note, seeking forgiveness is always possible, as Allah (swt) has stated that He is always ready to accept the sincere repentance of those who ask. The key component to seeking forgiveness is sincerity. Only Allah (swt) knows what is in the heart of the one asking for forgiveness. If a person truly made a genuine effort to avoid a sin (and what led them to commit that sin) but unfortunately committed the deed again, they should ask for forgiveness for this new transgression. It would be between the person and Allah (swt) whether or not that person had made an earnest effort and repentance if they repeat the sin. If a person feels inclined to repeat a sin, they should remind themselves of the remorse they felt when they first sought forgiveness and of the consequences, not just for themselves, but those around them if they continue.
The Prophet (saw) said: “Allah, the Exalted, will continue to stretch out His Hand in the night so that the sinners of the day may repent, and continue to stretch His Hand in the daytime so that the sinners of the night may repent, until the sun rises from the west.” (Sahih Muslim) [3]
Allah (swt) says: “And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins – and who can forgive sins except Allah? – and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know Those – their reward is forgiveness from their Lord and gardens beneath which rivers flow [in Paradise], wherein they will abide eternally; and excellent is the reward of the [righteous] workers ”
Surah Al-‘Imran (3:135-6) [4]
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Maryam Badshah
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ، وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَصْدُقُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ صِدِّيقًا، وَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ، وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ، وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَكْذِبُ، حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَذَّابًا ”.
Sahih Al-Bukhāri 6094 (Bk.78, ch.69, sunnah.com)
[2]
(قَوْلُهُ عَلَى صَغَائِرِهِ)… قَالَ ابْنُ الْكَمَالِ: لِأَنَّ الصَّغِيرَةَ تَأْخُذُ حُكْمَ الْكَبِيرَةِ بِالْإِصْرَارِ، وَكَذَا بِالْغَلَبَةِ عَلَى مَا أَفْصَحَ عَنْهُ فِي الْفَتَاوَى الصُّغْرَى حَيْثُ قَالَ: الْعَدْلُ مَنْ يَجْتَنِبُ الْكَبَائِرَ كُلَّهَا حَتَّى لَوْ ارْتَكَبَ كَبِيرَةً تَسْقُطُ عَدَالَتُهُ، وَفِي الصَّغَائِرِ الْعِبْرَةُ لِلْغَلَبَةِ أَوْ الْإِصْرَارِ عَلَى الصَّغِيرَةِ فَتَصِيرُ كَبِيرَةً وَلِذَا قَالَ وَغَلَبَ صَوَابُهُ
Raddul Muhtār (Vol.5, pg.473, Dār Al-Fiqr)
[3]
عن أبي موسى عبد الله بن قيس الأشعرى رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: “ إن الله تعالى يبسط يده بالليل ليتوب مسيء النهار، ويبسط يده بالنهار ليتوب مسيء الليل حتى تطلع الشمس من مغربها” ((رواه مسلم)).
Riyad as-Salihin 16 (Bk.0, ch.2, sunnah.com) and similarly Sahih Muslim 2759a/b (Bk.50, ch.5, sunnah.com)
[4]
﴿ وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا فَعَلُوا فَاحِشَةً أَوْ ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوا اللَّهَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُوا لِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَمَن يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَلَمْ يُصِرُّوا عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلُوا وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ أُولَٰئِكَ جَزَاؤُهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَجَنَّاتٌ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ وَنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ﴾
Qur’an (3:135-6)
