By Imam Murtadha Gusau
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation—may He extol the Messenger in the highest company of Angels and send His peace and blessings upon him—likewise upon his family, Companions, and true followers.
Dear brothers and sisters! 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 Qur’an and the Sunnah conveying the meaning that cheating, whether the target be Muslims or non-Muslims, is forbidden (Haram).
Accepting the guidance of Islam leads a person to truthfulness, which means a person completely avoids cheating and back-stabbing. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him} said:
“Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us, and whoever cheats us is not one of us.” [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.” [Muslim]
Respected brothers and sisters! A Muslim society is based on purity of feeling, love, sincerity toward 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 (Peace 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.” [Al-Bukhari]
Dear brothers and sisters! 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!
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) 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 labour, then did not pay his wages.” [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, in 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. Some bad politicians rig the ballot to win elections and cheat the whole nation.
Today, cheating between spouses and having extra-marital affairs is widespread in our 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 (Peace be upon him) 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.” [Al-Bukhari and 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.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761.
This Friday sermon (Jumu’ah Khutbah) was prepared for delivery today Friday, Jumada al-Akhir 22, 1445 AH (January 05, 2024).
