Fatwa ID: 07986
Answered by Alimah Shireen Mangera-Badat
Question:
Does writing for someone else, in a thesis, make this a contribution from his side or will it be a contribution from my side, and saying to the journal which will publish that there was a role from someone else’s side, wrong?
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Islam has always encouraged honesty and the practice of good ethics, whether it’s morally or in matters of dealings.
In Surah Tawbah:119- ‘O believers! Be mindful of Allah and be with the truthful.’[1]
Maintaining integrity and transparency is fundamental.
If someone contributes to your thesis, whether by writing sections, providing intellectual input, or assisting in other substantial ways, their contribution must be acknowledged. Claiming their work as solely your own would be academically dishonest and Islamically impermissible.
The part the second person has contributed would belong to them, and omitting such acknowledgement may result in accusations of plagiarism or academic misconduct.
From an Islamic perspective, honesty and truthfulness are central to all dealings, including academic work. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “Whoever deceives us is not one of us” (Muslim). [2]
Falsely presenting someone else’s work as entirely your own falls under dishonesty and deception, which are prohibited in Islam. Furthermore, when someone assists you, their contribution becomes an amanah (trust) that must be honoured. Misrepresenting their role would breach this trust, contradicting the principles of Islamic ethics.
In terms of disclosing contributions to journals, most academic bodies follow clear guidelines and criteria; you would need to check this against your academic body of publication. These guidelines require full transparency in attributing contributions like conceptualization, writing, and editing. Failing to disclose someone’s involvement, especially if it was significant, would violate academic integrity and Islamic ethics and would be deceitful.[3]
Proper acknowledgment ensures your work remains credible and trustworthy.
I hope that this answers the question.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by
Alimah Shireen Mangera-Badat
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
[1] يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَكُونُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ
[2] وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: ” من حمل علينا السلاح، فليس منا، ومن غشنا، فليس منا” ((رواه مسلم)).
Riyad as-Salihin 1579
[3] حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، ذَكَرَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ يُخْدَعُ فِي الْبَيْعِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِذَا بَايَعْتَ فَقُلْ لاَ خِلاَبَةَ ” . فَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ إِذَا بَايَعَ يَقُولُ لاَ خِلاَبَ
Sunan Abi Dawud 3500
