Can Job Income Be Halal After Receiving Interview Assistance?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question 

Is my friend’s income halal if he used external help for a few questions in a job interview but answered the rest himself?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

If it is understood that one is not permitted to take outside help during the job interview, then cheating is strictly prohibited and requires repentance.

However, if you are actually qualified to fulfill the job description and you are doing so, it is permissible for you to accept and use that income. If not, then taking the income is sinful and impermissible to transact in.

This is because the most integral condition of contracts has been broken: mutual consent. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Allah Most High says, “O believers! Do not devour one another’s wealth illegally, but rather trade by mutual consent. And do not kill ˹each other or˺ yourselves. Surely Allah is ever Merciful to you.” [Quran; 4:29]

Despite this, if doing so will not cause you great hardship, and you wish to be cautious, you should confess your cheating to your employer and petition them to keep you on based on your skills and ability to do the job. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

In that case, your income is certainly lawful without doubt. [Ibid.]

Hope this helps
Allah knows best

[Shaykh]Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies in Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen. There he completed the memorization of the Qur’an and his study of the Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: al-Habib Umar bin Hafiz, al-Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, al-Shaykh Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others. Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.