30th August 2021
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: Is freelancing in academic writing haram? one of Muslim sister has been doing academic writing for a while now and she has been thinking about it, she even quit for a while. So, please let me know, is getting paid for doing someone’s assignments and courses okay? Is the money halal? I mean it is technically, deceiving the professors though. (Then again, some people need that help and some of freelancer need that money). She wants to resume it but it she is not sure, please let me know soon as I want to help her.
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer: In reference to your query, freelancing is usually when a person offers their services for a fee; in this case offering the service of academic writing. When a student usually enrolls at a university, the university codes of honour and guidelines do specify that all work should undertaken by the student alone. Every student is required to sign a declaration that it is their work, otherwise they do not accept the essay. As the work of a freelancer explicitly goes against this agreement taken by the student, it will not be allowed to operate such freelancing service as this would fall under the ruling of deception and bribery,[1] as the essays etc would be passed off as the student’s own work when in actual fact are the freelancers work. There are verses in the Qur’an[2] and Ahadith [3] which clearly mention the prohibition of such. Due to this, the freelancing service in this case will not be allowed. The student also becomes sinful for paying someone to write their essay.
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Mufti Anas Mullah Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1] https://archive.org/details/FatawaMahmoodiyah-25Volumes-ByShaykhMuftiMahmoodHasanGangohir.a/FATAWA_MAHMOODIAH_VOL_18/page/n467/mode/1up
[2] Al qur’aan, 5:42
أَكَّالُونَ لِلسُّحْتِ سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ
Tafseer Qurtubi, vol 6 p183
وَقِيلَ: سُمِّيَ الْحَرَامُ سُحْتًا لِأَنَّهُ يَسْحَتُ مُرُوءَةَ الْإِنْسَانِ. قُلْتُ: وَالْقَوْلُ الْأَوَّلُ أَوْلَى، لِأَنَّ بِذَهَابِ الدِّينِ تَذْهَبُ الْمُرُوءَةُ، وَلَا مُرُوءَةَ لِمَنْ لَا دِينَ لَهُ. قَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ وَغَيْرُهُ: السُّحْتُ الرُّشَا. وَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: رِشْوَةُ الْحَاكِمِ مِنَ السُّحْتِ. وَعَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: (كُلُّ لَحْمٍ نَبَتَ بِالسُّحْتِ فَالنَّارُ أَوْلَى بِهِ) قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا السُّحْتُ؟ قَالَ: (الرِّشْوَةُ فِي الْحُكْمِ). وَعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ أَيْضًا أَنَّهُ قَالَ: السُّحْتُ أَنْ يَقْضِيَ الرَّجُلُ لِأَخِيهِ حَاجَةً فَيُهْدِيَ إِلَيْهِ هَدِيَّةً فَيَقْبَلُهَا. وَقَالَ ابْنُ خُوَيْزِ مَنْدَادٍ: مِنَ السُّحْتِ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ الرَّجُلُ بِجَاهِهِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ جَاهٌ عِنْدَ السُّلْطَانِ فَيَسْأَلُهُ إِنْسَانٌ حَاجَةً فَلَا يَقْضِيهَا إِلَّا بِرِشْوَةٍ يَأْخُذُهَا. وَلَا خِلَافَ بَيْنَ السَّلَفِ أَنَّ أَخْذَ الرِّشْوَةِ عَلَى إِبْطَالِ حَقٍّ أَوْ مَا لَا يَجُوزُ سُحْتٌ حَرَامٌ.
مسند أحمد بن حنبل مسند العشرة المبشرين بالجنة
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَعَنَ اللَّهُ آكِلَ الرِّبَا وَمُوكِلَهُ وَشَاهِدَيْهِ وَكَاتِبَهُ مَا ظَهَرَ فِي قَوْمٍ الرِّبَا وَالزِّنَا إِلَّا أَحَلُّوا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ عِقَابَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ