Fatwa ID: 06642

 

Answered by: Alimah Zakiratul Hoque

 

Question:

 

I have got a job based on a fake degree and fake certificates. I have the skills and ability to do the job. I do the job competently and carry out my duties properly in the job. The job in and of itself is halal.

 

Is my salary, which I get from this job, halal or haram?

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

 

Allah says in the Qur’an: “O humanity! Eat from what is lawful and good on the earth and do not follow Satan’s footsteps. He is truly your sworn enemy.” (Qur’aan, 2:168) ⁽¹⁾

 

If a person earns money in a Halal manner, their income would be Halal (Tafseer Kabeer, Vol 5, Pg 2). ⁽²⁾

 

As you are paid for your ability to perform the job, and the job itself is Halal, your income from it will also be Halal, Inshaa’Allah. However, it would be best for you to speak to your superiors about your false certification to avoid lying and deception, which are grave sins.

 

Abdullah (Ra) reports from the Prophet ﷺ: It is obligatory for you to tell the truth, for the truth leads to virtue and virtue leads to Paradise, and the man who continues to speak the truth and endeavours, to tell the truth, is eventually recorded as truthful with Allah, and beware of telling of a lie for telling of a lie leads to obscenity and obscenity leads to Hell-Fire, and the person who keeps telling lies and endeavours to tell a lie is recorded as a liar with Allah (Sahih Muslim, 2607)⁽³⁾

 

Abdullah bin Amr (Ra) narrated: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever has the following four (characteristics) will be a pure hypocrite and whoever has one of the following four characteristics will have one characteristic of hypocrisy unless and until he gives it up: Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays; whenever he speaks, he tells a lie; whenever he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous; whenever he quarrels, he behaves in a very imprudent, evil and insulting manner.” (Sahih Al Bukhari, 34) ⁽⁴⁾

 

To summarise, your income is Halal as the job is Halal. However, you should speak to your superiors about your false certification to avoid maintaining a lie and being deceitful.

 

 

⁽¹⁾

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ كُلُوا۟ مِمَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ حَلَـٰلًا طَيِّبًا وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ إِنَّهُۥ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ

 

⁽²⁾

الحلال المباح الذي انحلت عقدة الحظر عنه و أصله من الحل الذي هو نقيض العقد

 

⁽³⁾

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَصْدُقُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الصِّدْقَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ صِدِّيقًا وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ وَمَا يَزَالُ الرَّجُلُ يَكْذِبُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الْكَذِبَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَذَّابًا

 

⁽⁴⁾‏

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ أَرْبَعٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ كَانَ مُنَافِقًا خَالِصًا، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ فِيهِ خَصْلَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ كَانَتْ فِيهِ خَصْلَةٌ مِنَ النِّفَاقِ حَتَّى يَدَعَهَا إِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَانَ وَإِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ وَإِذَا عَاهَدَ غَدَرَ، وَإِذَا خَاصَمَ فَجَرَ

 

 

 

Only Allah knows best.

Written by Alimah Zakiratul Hoque

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham