Fatwa ID: 09439
Answered by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Question:
What would you say of a brother, about a dilemma he is facing. Just to give you details, his parents are in fragile health, his mother suffers from palpitations and weak limb torn hip ligament, his father has high blood pressure is into old age starting.
So the brother in question, he was a very pious honest kid, from grades 7-11 never cheated on exams. Passed with high distinction high school islamic school, and quite frankly, only did those mischievous stuff unrelated to official transcripts exam grades like if he forgot homework, maybe copies homework like all kids do little mistakes here and there. But in grade 12, he passed through turbulent times with family problems, bad grades, pressure, depression, doubts with faith and etc, and he did the sinful shortsighted thing of cheating in online school(his grade 12 year was homeschooled) to obtain the grades he wanted and needed for his program of preference at uni.
Now, he is excelling in university honestly high grades, but the guilt about the high school grade 12 thing, makes the guilt eat him alive. He sometimes cant even sleep thinking about it, remorseful and his conscience is burning, and he repented, he says, also if he tells his high school or uni what happened, it is guaranteed that the blowback means his number one his future is ruined and number two his parents health worsening or further alienation from family.
So for now he resorted to repentance and focusing on his degree, and whatever extra money comes his way he donates back to university without intention of ajr anonymously, so as to return the amount of aid approximate he was given, restitution wise, and also he stays silent on the topic and does satr for his sin.
What do you think? He is top student in engineering now, and as I said, remorse is eating him alive, and he can’t say what he did because his parents would literally it is feared for them to have a medical scenario, basically he is at a crossroads, such a good hearted brother with conscience, if he talks he ruins his life and familys health, without exxageration, and if he stays silent the guilt is unbearable. Please help, wassalam
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The Prophet SWS (ﷺ) said:
He who deceives is not of me (is not my follower). (Sahih Muslim 102)
Lying, cheating, forgery, fraud, and deception are all strictly Haram and you should do Tawbah from such actions. If it is possible to rectify this, then one must do so. You should, however, still have faith that Allah (ﷻ) will forgive you. Islam places great emphasis on sincere repentance for sins, even major ones. The conditions for repentance are: (a) feeling genuine remorse for the sin, (b) immediately ceasing the sinful act, (c) resolving never to return to it, and (d) if the sin involved the rights of others, to restore those rights as much as possible. [1] Allah (ﷻ) says:
Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins.1 He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Az-Zumar 39:53)
He is the One Who accepts repentance from His servants and pardons ˹their˺ sins. And He knows whatever you do. (Ash-Shura 42:25)
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin.” (Sunan Ibn Majah 4250)
As long as you sincerely repented and sought forgiveness form Allah (ﷻ) and tried to make things right (by donating), then have faith that Allah (ﷻ) will forgive you. In situations like this, Islam also recognizes the principle of weighing harms and benefits. If confessing and disclosing a past sin will almost certainly lead to greater harm (such as the destruction of one’s future, severe harm to parents’ health, or irreversible family consequences) then disclosure should be avoided. [2, 3, 4] In fact, confessing would be sinful if it leads to greater harm. Islam does not require self-destruction in the name of repentance.
Your remorse and guilt are evidence of a living heart and a conscience. Although it is good as it motivates you to repent, Shaytan often shifts his tactic after repentance and tries to paralyze people with despair, excessive guilt, and Waswās (whispers). Don’t give in to the temptations of Shaytan and have hope in the forgiveness and mercy of Allah (ﷻ). Continue to make seek forgiveness and Istighfār, and have faith that Allah (ﷻ) will forgive you and take care of your sins.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
وَالتَّوْبَةُ تَرْكُ الذَّنْبِ عَلَى أَحَدِ الْأَوْجُهِ. وَفِي الشَّرْعِ: تَرْكُ الذَّنْبِ لِقُبْحِهِ، وَالنَّدَمُ عَلَى فِعْلِهِ، وَالْعَزْمُ عَلَى عَدَمِ الْعَوْدِ وَرَدُّ الْمَظْلِمَةِ إِنْ كَانَتْ أَوْ طَلَبُ الْبَرَاءَةِ مِنْ صَاحِبِهَا
(Fath Al-Barī, vol. 11, pg. 103, Al-Maktabah As-Salafiyyah)
[2]
الضرر الأشد يزال بالضرر الأخف
(Al-Qawāid Al-Fiqhiyyah, pg. 32, Dār At-Tirmidhī)
[3]
الضرورات تبيح المحظورات
(Al-Qawāid Al-Fiqhiyyah, pg. 43, Dār At-Tirmidhī)
[4]
والضرورات تُقدّر بقدرها
(Al-Qawāid Al-Fiqhiyyah, pg. 44, Dār At-Tirmidhī)