By
Abdul-Kadir Abdullah
Alhamdulillāh, all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. We seek His guidance, forgiveness, and mercy. We bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah alone, and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His servant and final Messenger.
I remind myself and you all to fear Allah, to obey Him in private and in public and to be conscious that we will all return to Him for accountability.
Allah says: “O you who believe! Fear Allah and always speak the truth. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved great success.” (Qur’an 33:70-71)
Dear brothers and sisters, today’s sermon is on Islamic Position on Cheating and Deception, especially in business, trade, and measurements. Islam is a religion of justice, honesty, and fairness. Any form of cheating, whether by reducing weight, altering quality, inflating price, or deceiving people is a grave sin.
Allah warns us in the Qur’an: “Woe to those who give less (than due). Who, when they take a measure from people, takes it in full. But if they give by measure or by weight to them, they cause loss.” (Qur’an 83:1-3)
This warning was revealed for people who demanded full measures when buying but cheated others when selling. Allah condemned this act so strongly that He began the surah with “Woe” (Wayl), a word of destruction and severe punishment.
CHEATING DESTROYS TRUST AND BARAKAH (BLESSINGS)
Cheating in trade destroys trust among people, removes blessings (barakah) from wealth, and earns the anger of Allah.
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: “The seller and the buyer have the right to keep or return goods as long as they have not separated. If they spoke the truth and made everything clear, they will be blessed in their transaction. But if they lied or hid defects, the blessing of their transaction will be wiped out.” (Bukhārī and Muslim)
Even if the money enters your pocket, when it is earned by dishonesty, the blessing is removed, and that wealth will only bring hardship, loss, and regret.
CHEATING IN MODERN MARKETS
My dear brothers and sisters, cheating today has many forms. It is not only reducing weight but also adulterating goods and deceiving customers.
For example: A trader who reduces the quantity of rice or garri in a measure is cheating. A fuel station that adjusts the pump to give less fuel is cheating. A contractor who uses substandard materials after collecting full payment is cheating. A pharmacist or trader who reduces the quality of drugs, exposing lives to danger, is cheating. Those who add colour to pepper or dye to palm oil to make it look fresh are cheating. Those who mix sugar with honey to sell at higher profit are cheating. Those who add impurities to edibles like flour, groundnuts, or beans are cheating.
All these are condemned in Islam because they are injustices against people. The Prophet (peace be upon him) declared: “Whoever cheats us is not one of us.” (Muslim)
This shows that cheating is completely against the character of a true Muslim.
CONSEQUENCES OF CHEATING
Cheating may seem profitable in the short term, but in reality, it destroys society and invites calamities.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When people cheat in weights and measures, they will be stricken with famine, hardship, and oppression of rulers.” (Ibn Mājah)
Look at our societies today. When dishonesty fills the markets, corruption spreads in leadership, and falsehood dominates dealings, poverty, scarcity, and hardship follow.
I CALL YOU TO RIGHTEOUSNESS
Allah loves fairness and truthfulness. He commands: “And establish weight in justice and do not make deficient, the balance.” (Qur’an 55:9)
Therefore, let us purify our businesses, our contracts and our dealings. Let us trade with honesty, so that Allah may bless our wealth, our families, and our society.
I say this and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and for you. Seek His forgiveness, for indeed, He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah.
Alhamdulillāh, we praise Allah again and ask Him to guide us to sincerity and honesty in all affairs.
Servants of Allah, life is short, and we will all stand before Allah on the Day of Judgment. On that day, no wealth will benefit us except wealth earned lawfully and honestly. Let us avoid cheating in business, in leadership, in workplaces, in contracts, in schools, and even in our homes.
Let us raise our children to be truthful and trustworthy. Let us fight corruption and dishonesty in our society.
O Allah, purify our wealth, our hearts, and our dealings. O Allah, make us among those who are honest and trustworthy. O Allah, bless our businesses, our families, and our communities. O Allah, protect us from greed, deceit, and dishonesty. O Allah, forgive our parents, guide our leaders, and grant success to this Ummah.
Indeed, Allah commands justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives, and forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed.
Remember Allah often, and He will remember you. Be grateful to Him, and He will increase you. And the remembrance of Allah is greater, and Allah knows what you do.
Abdul-Kadir Abdullah writes from the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN), Edo State Chapter .
