Is it okay to cheat during an exam? When I see students cheating, I warn them, but they tell me that there is nothing wrong in doing it. Please provide us with some insight. A – Cheating is unlawful, regardless whether it is in an exam, in worship, or in dealing with others, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever cheats us, is not from us.” (Sahih Muslim, no. 101) And because of the manifold evils (in this world and the next) that result from cheating, it is obligatory to warn against it and to work together to eradicate it. – Sheikh Bin Baz; Fatawa Islamiyah, vol. 8, p. 121 Relinquishing ties Q- What is the ruling concering someone who has forsaken any relation with his brother for a long time, and whose father orders him not to make contact with him? A – It is unlawful for the Muslim to relinquish ties with another Muslim without a vaild religious reason. He shouldn't obey his father or anybody else in this matter. – Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Verdicts; Fatawa Islamiyah, vol. 8, no. 330 Utilizing things given in trust Q- A peron entrusted a sum of money to me and I used this money to invest, then when the owner of the money came to me, I returned his money to him in full, but I did not inform him of how I had benefitted from his money. Was my use of it permissible or not? A – If someone entrusted some amount of money to you, then you are not allowed to use it except with his permission and it is incumbant upon you to take care of it, just as you would take care of anything else. But if you used it without his permission, you must ask his permission, and if he agreed (then well and good), but if he did not, then give him the profit earned on his money, or reach an agreement with him that you will pay him half or so, because it is permissible for the Mulims to make settlements between them, unless it is a settlement which forbids what is permissible or permits what is forbidden. – Sheikh Bin Baz; Fatawa Islamiyah, vol. 5, p. 22-23 Beneficial shows Q- What is the ruling regarding a beneficial show, such as the news or a commentary on the news, which is disrupted intermittently by a few seconds of music? A – There is no harm in listening to or witnessing these shows as long as you turn off the radio while the music is being played, since music is unlawful. May Allah make it easy for us to avoid music and may He protect us from its evil. – Sheikh Bin Baz; Fatawa Islamiyah, vol. 8, p. 197 __
