Can I Give False Informations in a Survey?

Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam

Question: Assalam alaykum

Nowadays there are a lot of survey sites to earn some extra money at home. Lots of times they say I do not qualify based on my information which includes only true facts I give. If I choose another fact which doesn’t fit my profile I may qualify and fill out their survey and make some money. Is it permissible to earn money by giving false information?

Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,

No, you cannot give false information in order to deceptively gain a monetary reward. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever deceives us is not one of us.” [Muslim]

Allah Most High says, “And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will grant them a way out, and will provide for them in ways unimagined. And whoever places their trust in Allah, then Allah is their sufficiency. Allah’s affair will surely come to pass–and Allah has made a clear decree for everything.” [65.2-3]

I would suggest you look for other, ethical means of earning a livelihood, namely, something that doesn’t involve dubious practices. Intend Allah Most High, and pray the Prayer of Need (salat al-hajah).

Please also see: Welfare and Deception and: Cheating the Government Out of Welfare Money and: How Does One Perform The Prayer Of Need (salat al-haja)? and: A Reader on Patience and Reliance on Allah

And Allah Most High alone knows best.

[Ustadh] Tabraze Azam

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Tabraze Azam holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Leicester, where he also served as the President of the Islamic Society. He memorised the entire Qur’an in his hometown of Ipswich at the tender age of sixteen, and has since studied the Islamic Sciences in traditional settings in the UK, Jordan and Turkey. He is currently pursuing advanced studies in Jordan, where he is presently based with his family.