Lying to the government to receive funds

23-3-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah. I had read one of your verdicts on lying to a the government for needed funds, what I wonder is what if these government programs are unjust in their laws. I live in an area where many can not afford to live without government assistance. My husband has been struggling to make ends meet while on a program which assists with our rent, the reason for him have such difficulty is be the programm goes by his gross income, not what he brings home after taxes. Now that my oldest son is working they will raise the rent and therefore his income will not be a help but an hindrance. He is a strong young man and should be earning his own pay, I would hate to tell him to do otherwise. Is this permissible for me to lie and not tell about his income? We sometimes don't have food and are in much debt already trying to keep up with the bills we have now. JazakaAllah khair.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

What you are obliged to do is to adhere to truthfulness and fear Allaah, The Exalted, when you inform the authorities of your situation in order to be considered entitled to receive the government funds. Verily, whoever fears Allaah, Allaah shall relieve him of what grieves him and provide for him from (sources) he never could imagine. Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means): {… And whoever fears Allaah - He will make for him a way out *And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allaah - then He is sufficient for him} [Quran 65:2-3]

Therefore, you should inform the concerned authorities of your real situation and if you are deprived of the government funds or some of them, Allaah, The Exalted, shall compensate you with what is even better than what you may lose. Verily, whoever gives up something for the sake of Allaah, The Exalted, He will compensate him with something better than it.

You should not resort to lying to claim something to which you do not have a right. A Muslim should be exemplary in honesty and truthfulness, to invite people to Allaah and Islam by means of his noble manners and truthfulness. He or she should not drive people away from Allaah due to his dissoluteness, betrayal, and deceit as some Muslims nowadays do, especially those who interact with the non-Muslims. We implore Allaah not to render us a source of Fitnah, driving the non-Muslims away from Allaah.

Allaah knows best.