In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Abu Hurayrah narrates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
Do not envy one another; do not inflate prices to one another; do not hate one another, do not turn away from one another; and do not undercut one another, but be brothers, O slaves of Allah. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim: he neither oppresses him nor disgraces him, he neither lies to him nor does he hold him in contempt. Piety and righteousness is here - and he pointed to his breast three times. It is evil enough for a man to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. The whole of a Muslim for another Muslim is inviolable; his blood, his property, and his honor.[Muslim]
Muslim society is based on purity of feeling, love, sincerity towards every Muslim, and fulfillment of promises to every member of society. Its members are endowed with piety, truthfulness, and faithfulness. Cheating and deception are alien characters in contrast to the noble character of a true Muslim. There is no room in it for liars, swindlers, double crossers, tricksters, or traitors.
Cheating is the opposite of sincere concern. Cheating is a form of lying.
One should steer clear of all the various forms of deceit and deception present in today’s society. Cheating is common in examinations, business transactions, marriage, and even in attracting marriage proposals, such that a woman attaches to her hair, the hair of another, or claims to be a virgin, or claims to have certain qualifications being sought, or pretends to have certain good traits, or simply hides material facts or defects.
Cheating is also for a seller to display (a product) such that it would delude (others into thinking it) an intact product, by lying outright or hiding a defect.
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) happened to pass by a heap of corn. He thrust his hand in that (heap) and his fingers felt wetness. He said to the owner of that heap of corn, "What is this?" He replied: "O Messenger of Allah! These have been drenched by rainfall." He remarked, "Why did you not place this (the drenched part of the heap) over the corn so that people might see it? He who deceives is not of us."
Cheating and deception are despicable characteristics that are beneath a decent human being. Intentionally distorting the truth in order to mislead others contradicts the values of honesty, which requires an attitude of sincerity, straightforwardness, and fairness that leaves no room for cheating, lying, trickery, or deceit.
There are many texts from the Qur'an and the Sunnah conveying the meaning that cheating, whether the target be Muslims or non-Muslims, is forbidden.
Accepting the guidance of Islam leads a person to truthfulness, which means a person completely avoids cheating, cheating, and back-stabbing. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
"Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us, and whoever cheats us is not one of us." [Muslim]
Islam views cheating and deception as heinous sins, a source of shame to the one guilty of committing them, both in this world and the next. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) did not merely denounce them by excluding them from the Muslim community in this world, he also announced that on the Day of Judgment every traitor would be raised carrying the flag of his betrayal. A caller will cry out from the vast arena of judgment, pointing to him, drawing attention to him:
"Every traitor will have a banner on the Day of Resurrection and it will be said: This is the betrayer of so-and-so." [Bukhari]
The shame of traitors – men and women - will be immense. Those who thought that their betrayal had been forgotten will find it right there, exposed for the whole humanity to see on banners raised high held by their own hands.
Their shame will increase even more when they meet with the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) on that terrifying Day. Their crime is of such enormity that it will deprive them of Divine mercy and the Prophet’s intercession. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
Allah said: There are three whom I will oppose on the Day of Resurrection: a man who gave his word and then betrayed it; a man who sold a free man into slavery and kept the money; and a man who hired someone, benefited from his labor, then did not pay his wages.[Bukhari]
We should value ourselves too highly to be among those who cheat or deceive perchance we might fall in the category of hypocrites about whom the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
There are four characteristics, whoever has all of them is a true hypocrite, and whoever has one of them has one of the qualities of a hypocrite until he gives it up: when he is trusted, he betrays; when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he disputes, he resorts to slander.[Bukhari & Muslim]
A Muslim should avoid deceit, cheating, treachery, and lying, at all costs, no matter what benefits or profits such actions might bring him.
May Allah grant us sincerity and make us of the truthful. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
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