Does Lying About My Qualifications Make My Income Haram?

Does lying about my qualifications make my income haram?

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

May Allah, Most High reward you for your desire to increase in knowledge.

Lying in order to obtain a job is a major sin and requires repentance. However, the income that is made from the job is permissible and unaffected by the lie.

[Sarakhsi, al-Mabsut]

The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Verily truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to paradise. A man may continue to be truthful until he is recorded as a speaker of the truth. Verily lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to hell. A man may continue to tell lies until he is recorded as a liar.” [Bukhari, al-Sahih]

From the above Hadith, we understand that telling the truth will always lead to what is best, even if outwardly it does not seem so.

As the saying goes: “Honesty is the best policy.”

Please see: A Reader on Tawba (Repentance)

And Allah alone knows best,

[Ustadh] Omar Popal

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani