The inquirer says: “I applied for a job in another country for which a master’s degree was one of the requirements. Since I did not have a master’s degree, I forged the degree certificate. I have now been working in that job for three years. What is the ruling of Islamic law regarding my employment and the income I have earned from it?”

Allah Almighty commands us to uphold truthfulness and honesty, and forbids fraud, deception, and betrayal; He says, “O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with the truthful” (Quran, 9: 119). Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever cheats us is not of us” (recorded by Muslim in his Sahih).

Allah Almighty forbids the wrongful consumption of other people’s wealth, including its acquisition through fraud or deceit; Allah Almighty says, “O you who have believed, do not consume one another's wealth unjustly but only [in lawful] business by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves [or one another]. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful” (Quran, 4:29). Abu Bakra (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “We were with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, when he said, ‘Shall I not inform you of the gravest of the major sins? They are three: associating partners with Allah, being undutiful to one’s parents, and giving false testimony or making false statements.’ The Messenger of Allah had been reclining, but then sat upright and continued repeating it until we said, ‘If only he would stop’” (recorded by Bukhari and Muslim).

What the inquirer did by forging a master's degree certificate is prohibited. Moreover, if the job she took depended on that degree, then what she did is even more gravely prohibited. She is not entitled to the job according to Islamic law and must try to terminate her contract so that her work is based on honesty and integrity. As for the income she earned from her job, she may keep it because it is compensation for the work she performed, despite not being entitled to the job. This is because the prohibition does not pertain to the job itself nor to the salary, but to the means through which she obtained the job.

And Allah Almighty knows best.