Cheating and Deception

cheating and deception are despicable characteristics that are beneath a decent person.  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 quran 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 of islam said:

“whoever bears arms against us is not one of us, and whoever cheats us is not one of us.” (saheeh muslim)

according to another report, the prophet passed by a pile of food in the market.  he put his hand inside it and felt dampness, although the surface was dry.  he said:

“o owner of the food, what is this?’

the man said, ‘it was damaged by rain, o messenger of allah.’

he said, ‘why did you not put the rain-damaged food on top so that people could see it!  whoever cheats us is not one of us.” (saheeh 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 swindlers, double crossers, tricksters, or traitors.

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, may the mercy and blessings of god be upon him, 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.” (saheeh al-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 world to see on banners raised high held by their own hands!

their shame will increase even more when they meet with the prophet of mercy, the advocate of the sinners on that terrifying and horrible day.  their crime is of such enormity that it will deprive them of divine mercy and the prophet’s intercession.  the prophet of islam 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.” (saheeh al-bukhari)

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, and even between spouses and loved ones.  placing a label on domestically-made products to make it seem that it is imported is a kind of fraud.  some people give wrong advice when their council is sought and thus deceive the person who believes he is getting good advice.  an employee should do the job for what he is paid for without any deception or cheating.  rulers rig  the ballot to win elections and cheat the whole nation.  cheating between spouses and having extra-marital affairs is widespread in modern society.  a muslim should value himself too highly to be among those who cheat or deceive perchance one might fall in the category of hypocrites about whom the prophet 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.” (saheeh al-bukhari, saheeh muslim)

therefore, a muslim who has true islamic sensitivities avoids deceit, cheating, treachery, and lying no matter what benefits or profits such activities might bring him, because islam considers those guilty of such deeds to be hypocrites.

Sin and Human Conscience

an-nawwas bin sam’aan reported that prophet muhammad said:

“righteousness is good character, and sin is whatever bothers you and you do not want people to know.” (saheeh muslim)

in the second part of this narration, the prophet mentioned another subtle aspect of sin, which is that sin is anything which bothers a righteous person’s conscience and which a person seeks to hide from others.  an array of actions comes into a person’s mind once they hear these words.

god has inspired within each soul the ability, although limited, to recognize truth from falsehood.

“he inspired it (the soul) to know its sin and its piety.” (quran 91:8)

as long as a person seeks righteousness, they will know when they have done something wrong through their conscience, even though they might find numerous ways to excuse themselves for what they are doing.  they would never like anyone to come to know of that thing, for they are ashamed of it; their religion is enriched with shyness, shame and bashfulness.  the prophet said:

“shame and bashfulness is from the perfection of faith.” (saheeh al-bukhari)

shame is something which can prevent a person from committing evil.  the prophet said:

“if you have no shame, then do as you please.” (saheeh al-bukhari)

shame, the highest level being shameful in front of god from committing sins, is a key factor is avoiding sin, and this standard may also be used to judge whether or not an act is a sin.

these sentiments of conscience and shame are a natural consequence to true belief and faith, and this is what the religion of islam seeks to create within an individual, an islamic conscience which guides humans through their lives.

this inner conscience is what tells the state of the heart of the individual, whether it is alive seeking the truth, or dead, filled with the desires of this worldly life.  lack of religiosity and indulging in sin causes a person to lose one’s conscience, and it can no longer be used as a source of guidance.

“…why then did they not believe with humility?  but their hearts became hardened, and satan made fair seeming to them that which they used to do.” (quran 6:43)

“have they not traversed through the land, and have they heart with which they perceive, or ears with which they hear?  indeed it is not the sight which is blinded, but rather what is blinded is the hearts which are in the breasts.” (quran 22:46)

the heart can be used as a guide, in conjunction with the intellect and revelation, in order to ease the search for the truth.  the heart of one who is searching for the truth is indeed one which is alive, for it is this life and yearning which causes them to search for it.  this type of person will never find peace at heart in any other religion except the religion which god ordained for humanity, and as long as their yearning for the truth exists, their conscience will continue to bother them until they find the true religion of god.  indeed if the person is sincere, god will guide them to the truth:

“and those who desire guidance, he (god) will increase them in guidance, and inspire them with [the way to] piety.” (quran 47:17)