Cheating in Exams… Destruction of Societies!
Nothing elevates nations to greatness like knowledge, and nothing drags them down into decline like ignorance. For the sake of knowledge, Allah revealed the scriptures and sent the messengers. In fact, Allah created the heavens and the earth for this very purpose, as He says: "It is Allah who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them. [His] command descends among them so you may know that Allah is over all things competent and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge." (At-Talaq: 12)
The first revelation of the Quran was a command to read: "Recite in the name of your Lord who created – Created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the Most Generous – Who taught by the pen, Taught man that which he knew not." (Al-'Alaq: 1-5)
The Prophet ﷺ emphasized the necessity of seeking knowledge, as Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The search for knowledge is an obligation laid on every Muslim.” (Reported by Ibn Majah and Abu Ya’la)
Thus, learning and teaching are not just Islamic obligations; they are the foundation of Islam itself. They are the path to progress and civilization in this world and the key to ultimate success in the Hereafter.
The Spread of Cheating in Education
A corrupted education system drags a nation to the bottom, creating a backward society in all fields of life. Any teacher, student, or parent who contributes to cheating directly causes the nation's downfall, the destruction of its future, and the ruin of its civilization.
Cheating in any field is one of the greatest sins—it is a crime from a religious, ethical, legal, and humanitarian perspective. The most dangerous form of cheating is in exams, as it profoundly impacts the nation’s future. It promotes the undeserving and holds back those who truly deserve to excel. It equates the knowledgeable with the ignorant. Allah warns against such deception: "And never think that those who rejoice in what they have perpetrated and like to be praised for what they did not do – never think them [to be] in safety from the punishment, and for them is a painful punishment." (Aal 'Imran: 188)
If cheating in something as trivial as planting a tree or moving a stone is a major sin, then cheating in shaping human beings, building intellects, and nurturing morals is an even graver crime. Allah says: "Or should we treat those who believe and do righteous deeds like corrupters in the land? Or should We treat those who fear Allah like the wicked?" (Sad: 28)
Cheating in exams creates an equal status between the righteous and the wicked, the scholar and the ignorant, and the virtuous and the corrupt. Such crimes lead nations to backwardness and destruction, as Allah says: "Say, “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding." (Az-Zumar: 9)
Examinations are a trust, and cheating is a betrayal. Allah commands: "Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice." (An-Nisa: 58), "O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence]." (Al-Anfal: 27)
The Prophet ﷺ warned against cheating in a hadith narrated by Abu Huraira: “He who cheats us is none of us.” (Reported by Muslim and Ibn Hibban)
A cheater, regardless of their position, commits a severe violation of Islamic principles and a major sin. Anyone who aids in cheating in any way is equally guilty. Cheating produces ignorance disguised as knowledge, and the Prophet ﷺ described this deception in another hadith reported by Asma’: “The one who boasts of receiving what he has not been given is like him who has put on the two garments of falsehood.” (Agreed upon)
Cheating and assisting in it are acts of deception, falsehood, and oppression—some of the gravest of sins and most repugnant of prohibitions.
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