Question:

A student is asking me to do his homework and he is paying me to do so which is obviously haram but at the end of each week I will tutor him on everything he took and show him questions from the homework to make sure he can answer and understand please is it halal or haram. I feel it is halal because he will fully understand the question,so he isn’t cheating or deceiving.

The Fatwa

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Answer

Completing the student’s homework and being paid to do so is not permissible. However, it is permissible to tutor the student on the topics that are to be studied by reviewing their curriculum and preparing them for assignments and homework accordingly. The fee for such a service would be lawful as the service is free from any unlawful elements.

The Fiqh of the Answer

Imam al-Bābirti (d.786 H) states that deception and misrepresentation are detestable, and whenever such practices are embedded in a transaction, the transaction becomes detestable and severely disliked. In a similar manner, when the service incorporates deceiving someone and the service itself is delivering something deceptive, then such a service will not be permitted.

Imam al-’Ayni (d.855 H) quotes several examples of unlawful earnings where the service and action itself is unlawful, such as a sorcerer and tattoo artist. Doing homework for others and being paid for it is a form of deception and misleading others, where the service itself is a misrepresentation, deception and misleading. As such, taking a fee for this service will be unlawful.

Providing a tutoring service and receiving renumeration in lieu is permissible in and of itself, so long as there are no violations and/or contradictions of Islāmic principles.  

The Rationale

Educational institutions expect homework to be completed by their students without third party involvement. If the work you complete is being submitted by the student as their own work, this will religiously and ethically be incorrect.

And Almighty Allah Alone Knows Best

Maulana Ammar Y Badat
Trainee Mufti

Reviewed and approved by
Mufti Faraz Adam
Darul Iftaa Muadh ibn Jabal
www.fatwa-centre.com | www.darulfiqh.com

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وَتَعاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوى وَلا تَعاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوانِ وَاِتَّقُوا اللهَ إِنَّ اللهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقابِ | سورة المائدة

حَدَّثَنَا ‌قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا ‌يَعْقُوبُ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْقَارِيُّ ، (ح) وَحَدَّثَنَا ‌أَبُو الْأَحْوَصِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ ، حَدَّثَنَا ‌ابْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ كِلَاهُمَا، عَنْ ‌سُهَيْلِ بْنِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ ، عَنْ ‌أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ ‌أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: « مَنْ حَمَلَ عَلَيْنَا السِّلَاحَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا، وَمَنْ غَشَّنَا فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا ». ص69 – كتاب صحيح مسلم ط التركية –

فَالْإِجَارَةُ جَائِزَةٌ عِنْدَ عَامَّةِ الْعُلَمَاءِ. (ج 5 ص 513 – كتاب بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع – فصل في صفة حكم ولاء الموالاة (دار الحديث)

والاستئجار على فعل مباح جائز وإن كانت معصية كالنياحة والغناء فهو إجارة على المعصية، والإجارة على المعاصي باطل (المحيط البرهاني)

وَالْإِجَارَة على الْمعاصِي كَمَا إِذا اسْتَأْجر مغنيا أَو نائحة فَهِيَ فَاسِدَة (تحفة الفقهاء)

قَالَ – رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ – (وَلَا يَجُوزُ عَلَى الْغِنَاءِ وَالنَّوْحِ وَالْمَلَاهِي) لِأَنَّ الْمَعْصِيَةَ لَا يُتَصَوَّرُ اسْتِحْقَاقُهَا بِالْعَقْدِ (تبيين الحقائق شرح كنز الدقائق وحاشية الشلبي)

قال: (وكره بيع السلاح من أهل الفتنة، وفي عساكر الفتنة، ولا بأس ببيعه في الأمصار، وممن لا نعرفه من أهل الفتنة). (شرح مختصر الطحاوي للجصاص)

وسَبَبُ ذَلِكَ إيقاعُ رَجُلٍ فِيهِ بِأزْيَدَ مِن الثَّمَنِ وهُوَ خِداعٌ والخِداعُ قَبِيحٌ جاوَرَ هَذا البَيْعَ فَكانَ مَكْرُوهًا، وظَهَرَ مِن هَذا أنَّ الرّاغِبَ فِي السِّلْعَةِ إذا طَلَبَها مِن صاحِبِها بِأنْقَصَ مِن ثَمَنِها فَزادَ شَخْصٌ لا يُرِيدُ الشِّراءَ إلى ما بَلَغَ تَمامَ قِيمَتِها لا يَكُونُ مَكْرُوهًا لِانْتِفاءِ الخِداعِ (العناية شرح الهداية بهامش فتح القدير)

مِنْ السُّحْتِ مَا يُؤْخَذُ عَلَى كُلّ مُبَاحٍ كَمِلْحٍ وَكَلَأٍ وَمَاءٍ وَمَعَادِنَ وَمَا يَأْخُذُهُ غَازٍ لِغَزْوٍ وَشَاعِرٌ لِشَعْرٍ وَمَسْخَرَةٌ وَحَكَوَاتِيٌّ قَالَ تَعَالَى – {وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْتَرِي لَهْوَ الْحَدِيثِ} [لقمان: ٦]- وَأَصْحَابُ مَعَازِفَ وَقُوَّادٌ وَكَاهِنٌ وَمُقَامِرٌ وَوَاشِمَةٌ وَفُرُوعُهُ كَثِيرَةٌ

(قَوْلُهُ وَفُرُوعُهُ كَثِيرَةٌ) مِنْهَا كَمَا فِي الْمُجْتَبَى مَا تَأْخُذُهُ الْمُغَنِّيَةُ عَلَى الْغِنَاءِ وَالنَّائِحَةِ وَالْوَاشِرَةُ وَالْمُتَوَسِّطَةُ لِعَقْدِ النِّكَاحِ وَالْمُصْلِحُ بَيْنَ الْمُتَشَاحِنَيْنِ وَثَمَنُ الْخَمْرِ وَالسُّكْرِ وَعَسْبِ التَّيْسِ وَثَمَنُجَمِيعِ جُلُودِ الْمَيْتَةِ وَالسِّبَاعِ قَبْلَ الدَّبَّاغِ وَمَهْرُ الْبَغْيِ وَأَجْرُ الْحَجَّامِ بِشَرْطٍ اهـ. لَكِنْ فِي الْمَوَاهِبِ: وَيَحْرُمُ عَلَى الْمُغَنِّي وَالنَّائِحَةِ وَالْقَوَّالِ أَخْذُ الْمَالِ الْمَشْرُوطِ دُونَ غَيْرِهِ اهـ. وَكَذَا صَاحِبُالطَّبْلِ وَالْمِزْمَارِ كَمَا قَدَّمْنَاهُ عَنْ الْهِنْدِيَّةِ. (حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار)