Assalamualaikum,
I’m 15 years old (about to be 16 in a month) and I want to make money online as I don’t have time for an actual job during the school year. The problem is, websites always want workers at least 18 years old. Is it haram to fake my age to be able to work online? If I do fake my age will the money earned not be halal?
The work I intend to do online is simply transcribing audio, adding captions to videos, taking part in surveys and simple freelance work.
Anyway, thank you to anyone who sees this.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Brother in Islam,
The messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) has said :
“لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ غَشَّ” اخرجه ابن ماجه في سننه
Translation: “The one who deceives is not from amongst us”(Sunan-Ibn-Majah-2/ 749)[2]
In another narration the messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) has also said :
“إن الصدق يهدي إلى البر، وإن البر يهدي إلى الجنة، وإن الرجل ليصدق حتى يكتب صديقا، وإن الكذب يهدي إلى الفجور، وإن الفجور يهدي إلى النار، وإن الرجل ليكذب حتى يكتب كذابا” اخرجه مسلم في صحيحه
Translation: “ Verily truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to paradise. A man may endeavour to be truthful until he is recorded as a speaker of the truth. And Verily lying leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to hell. A man may endeavour to tell lies until he is recorded as a liar”(Sahih Muslim 4/ 2012)
Speaking lies and deceiving are major sins. It is not permissible to incorrectly state one’s age to acquire a job. [1] If you conceal your age and speak lies and acquire the job, the income will be permissible.[3]However, you should repent for speaking lies. It is also not sufficient to merely repent to justify acquiring the job. Speaking lies is indeed a major sin.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Ahmad Patel
Student Darul Iftaa
South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[1] Ahsan al-Fatawa, 8/ 198
Fatawa Mahmudiyyah, 18/477
[2] Sunan -Al- Tirmithi
Sunan- Ibn- Majah
[3] فان وقعت على عمل معلوم فلا تجب الاجرة الا باتمام العمل اذا كان العمل مما لا يصلح اوله إلا بآخره وان كان يصلح اوله دون آخره فتجب الاجرة بمقدار ما عمل واذا وقعت على وقت معلوم فتجب الاجرة بمضي الوقت ان هو استعمله او لم يستعمله وبمقدار ما مضى من الوقت تجب الاجرة
[An-Nutaf fi al-Fatawa, p.338, Radd al-Muhtar ala ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, 6: 69-70
والإجارة لاتخلو من وجهين: اما ان تقع على وقت معلوم او على عمل معلوم
[An-Nutaf fi al-Fatawa, 2: 558]
Fatawa Mahmoddiyah, 16: 572