Q: I had another question that has been bothering me recently. I did my medical school in my native country. I am an old graduate of medical school and I have started PhD in public health in the US from this summer. It was possible to enrol into a PhD program because the university offered me a full scholarship for PhD. The only thing I regret is that for admission and scholarship to the university, I lied on my resume and personal statement that I was the best student in my class during medical school but the transcripts and recommendation letters submitted were completely authentic and the university also verified them by requesting a sealed official copy. So the lying was only on the resume and personal statement. But maybe it was overlooked by the university and they gave me admission and a full scholarship. After I enrolled myself in the PhD program, the Program Director has introduced me twice in various meetings that I was the best student from my country. Now I feel that my troubles are because I lied to get the admission and particularly the scholarship and that has now resulted in Allah giving me multiple problems in my career. I cannot inform the university about this or the Program Director who gave me admission and scholarship as I do not want to be labelled a liar but I want to know how do I repent for this sin to avoid any troubles because of this. The other issue is that I have circulated my CV to my advisor as well and other post-doctoral fellows with this lie and I would have to continue doing this for the next five years because I now cannot change it if they ask for my CV again. Kindly advise in light of Islamic teachings because my only intention was to get admission and a scholarship and was not to harm anyone by this.
A: We suggest that you make istighfaar, beg Allah Ta`ala’s forgiveness and for the future leave out all areas of doubt. May Allah Ta`ala grant you ease, aafiyat and barkat.
فَمَنْ حَاجَّكَ فِيهِ مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَنِسَاءَنَا وَنِسَاءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ اللَّـهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ ﴿آل عمران: ٦١﴾
وَالْخَامِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَتَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْهِ إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ﴿النور: ٧﴾
عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم من ستر مسلما ستره الله في الدنيا والآخرة (سنن ابن ماجة 183)
الكذب مباح لإحياء حقه ودفع الظلم عن نفسه والمراد التعريض لأن عين الكذب حرام
و قال في رد المحتار : قوله ( الكذب مباح لإحياء حقه ) … واعلم أن الكذب قد يباح وقد يجب والضابط فيه كما في تبيين المحارم وغيره عن الإحياء أن كل مقصود محمود يمكن التوصل إليه بالصدق والكذب جميعا فالكذب فيه حرام وإن أمكن التوصل إليه بالكذب وحده فمباح إن أبيح تحصيل ذلك المقصود وواجب إن وجب تحصيله كما لو رأى معصوما اختفى من ظالم يريد قتله أو إيذاءه فالكذب هنا واجب وكذا لو سأله عن وديعة يريد أخذها يجب إنكارها ومهما كان لا يتم مقصود حرب أو إصلاح ذات البين أو استمالة قلب المجني عليه إلا بالكذب فيباح ولو سأله سلطان عن فاحشة وقعت منه سرا كزنا أو شرب فله أن يقول ما فعلته لأن إظهارها فاحشة أخرى وله أيضا أن ينكر سر أخيه (رد المحتار 6/427)
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)