Clarification that ignorance of the punishment entailed by a forbidden act is not an excuse
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I was a student at one of the universities, and I used to cheat in my semester exams, even in the final year—the graduation year in the second semester. I was appointed as a teacher according to my university major, knowing that cheating is forbidden, but I did not know that there were consequences regarding the salary. I am now repentant, if Allah wills. What should I do?
Here is an issue you should pay attention to: if a person knows the ruling but does not know what consequences follow from it, he is not excused. For example, suppose a married man commits unlawful sexual intercourse, knowing that it is forbidden, but he does not know that the punishment is stoning. Do we stone him or not? We stone him.Even though he says: If I had known that the person would be stoned, I would not have done it.We say: Your ignorance of the punishment is not an excuse.
Likewise, a man who has intercourse with his wife during the day in Ramadan,And he said: did not know that there is a severe expiation for intercourse. He thought that the person only has to make up one day and that is the end of it. If he had known about the severe expiation, he would not have done it. Is he excused or not? He is not excused; rather, he must perform the expiation. The point is that ignorance of the punishment is not an excuse. What is the excuse? Ignorance of the ruling is the excuse. Therefore, if a man has intercourse with his wife during the day in Ramadan and says: I did not know it was forbidden; I only thought that eating and drinking were the only forbidden things,We say: then nothing is required of you, neither making up the fast nor an expiation.
I was a student at one of the universities, and I used to cheat in my semester exams, even in the final year—the graduation year in the second semester. I was appointed as a teacher according to my university major, knowing that cheating is forbidden, but I did not know that there were consequences regarding the salary. I am now repentant, if Allah wills. What should I do?
Here is an issue you should pay attention to: if a person knows the ruling but does not know what consequences follow from it, he is not excused. For example, suppose a married man commits unlawful sexual intercourse, knowing that it is forbidden, but he does not know that the punishment is stoning. Do we stone him or not? We stone him.Even though he says: If I had known that the person would be stoned, I would not have done it.We say: Your ignorance of the punishment is not an excuse.
Likewise, a man who has intercourse with his wife during the day in Ramadan,And he said: did not know that there is a severe expiation for intercourse. He thought that the person only has to make up one day and that is the end of it. If he had known about the severe expiation, he would not have done it. Is he excused or not? He is not excused; rather, he must perform the expiation. The point is that ignorance of the punishment is not an excuse. What is the excuse? Ignorance of the ruling is the excuse. Therefore, if a man has intercourse with his wife during the day in Ramadan and says: I did not know it was forbidden; I only thought that eating and drinking were the only forbidden things,We say: then nothing is required of you, neither making up the fast nor an expiation.