The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:“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)
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.”
According to another report, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed by a pile of food in the market. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) put his hand inside it and felt dampness, although the surface was dry. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“O owner of the food, what is this?’
The man said, ‘It was damaged by rain, O Messenger of God.’
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.”
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 (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) said:
“God
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.”
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 (peace and blessings of Allah 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.”
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.
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