Evils of Society
Deception
Abu Rajab Muhammad Asif Attari Madani
Missing things can be found in the place they were lost, except for trust, for if a person’s trust is lost once, it is very difficult to establish it again. ‘Deception’ plays a role in the losing of one’s trust. If we intentionally mention something untruthful to someone, or attempt to fool him by presenting something inferior as superior, then when the truth comes out, he will not be prepared to trust us again. The evil habit of deceiving others has caused fear between a trader and his customers, an employee and his boss, and a doctor and his patient; the customer fears that the shopkeeper will take the full amount from him but give him a substandard item in return, and the shopkeeper fears that the customer might give him counterfeit money.
In today’s age, the friends, households, traders, etc., which have a strong relationship of trust, appear to be at ease, whereas, those who deceive others appear to be in difficulty. The Beloved of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has expressed his dislike for those who deceive, hence, he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: مَنْ غَشَّنَا فَلَیْسَ مِنَّا, meaning, ‘The one who deceived us, is not from among us.’ (Muslim, p. 95, Hadith. 101) Allamah Abd al- Rauf Manaawi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه writes: “Deception is to conceal the (actual) state of a thing.” (Fayz Al-Qadeer, vol. 6, p. 240, Hadith 8879) For example, selling a defective thing whilst concealing its defect, selling a counterfeit or adulterated item whilst presenting it as genuine and pure, etc.
It is stated in The Masnawi: “A man purchased half a kilo of meat in order to feed his guests and gave it to his wife, but his wife was very cunning; she would ruin everything that he would bring home and her husband had grown tired of her. His wife cooked the meat, and instead of giving it to the guests, she ate it herself. Her husband came and asked, ‘Where is the meat? It is time to feed the guests.’ The wife lyingly said, ‘The cat ate the meat, so bring some more if you want.’ The man was overcome with anger and said to the servant, ‘Bring the scales, so that I can weigh the cat!’ When he weighed the cat, it was half a kilo. Seeing this, the husband said, ‘O woman! I brought half a kilo of meat, yet this cat also weighs half a kilo, so if this is the meat, then where is the cat, and if this is the cat, then where is the meat?’” (Derived from, Anwar ul- Uloom Masnawi Maulana Room, Dafter Panjam, p. 533)
New forms of fraud and deception continue to appear in today’s age. Sometimes a person messages another and begins to take his money by making up various things and telling him that he will win a prize, a car, etc., then we have others who produce fake documents for plots and then disappear after taking the money from people, and there are some who lie about getting a job for others or sending them overseas and then take all of their money. In short, Muslims are placed into difficulty and hardship through various ways.
Those who deceive others should remember that a day will come after they leave this world when they will have to reap what they sowed. Thus, in order to save themselves from the accountability of the Hereafter, they should repent sincerely in this world and take themselves to account, and they should return all the money that they have wrongfully taken from anyone, or seek their pardon. If they are no longer alive, they should return it to their inheritors or ask them to pardon it (for solutions to such problems, contact Dar-ul-Ifta Ahl-e-Sunnat). Similarly, at the time of exchanging money with someone, make a written agreement and have some witnesses present. Also, in societal matters, for example, when looking for a suitor, only move forward after acquiring necessary information. May Allah Almighty protect us from deceiving others and from being deceived. آمین
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