Is the one who is ignorant of the punishment excused?
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The Shaykh : An oath.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh. He says: I was a student in one of the universities, and I used to cheat in the end-of-year exams, even in the final year of study, the graduation year, and in the second semester. I was appointed as a teacher in the university according to my field of study, knowing that cheating is forbidden, but I did not know that anything would be required of me regarding the salary. I am now repentant, if Allah wills. So what should I do?
The Shaykh : Okay, was there cheating in the final exam or not? The last exam?
The questioner : The question is written for me, O Shaykh. I do not know.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : It is in the end-of-year work that is written for me, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : This is the end-of-year work. We are done with it. The last exam?
The questioner : It is written for me in writing.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : The question is from a person who wrote it for me.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : It is written only in the end-of-year work.
Another questioner: On behalf of him, O Shaykh. It is written for me in writing, O Shaykh. The question is only in the end-of-year work.
The Shaykh : I mean, before it was distributed? I mean, it was written for you before it was distributed?
The questioner : He wrote the question for him while he was asking.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : One person wrote the question for him while he was asking.
The Shaykh : How, yes?
The questioner : I mean, the cheater in the exam is not present.
The Shaykh : Yes, but how is the cheating now?
The questioner : He says in the end-of-year work that was written for us.
The Shaykh : The end-of-year work, leave it, leave it. The talk is about the last exams.
The questioner : We do not know.
The Shaykh : Let him wait until he comes to ask. Then, here is an issue, O people, pay attention to it: If a person knows the ruling but does not know what follows from it, is he excused? He is not excused. I mean, suppose a married man commits unlawful sexual intercourse, and he knows that unlawful sexual intercourse is forbidden, but he did not know that he would be stoned. Do we stone him or not?
The student: We stone him.
The Shaykh : We stone him, even though he says, "If I had known that the person is 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 of Ramadan and says, "I did not know that there is a severe expiation. I thought the person only makes up one day and it is over. If I had known there was a severe expiation, I would not have done it." Is he excused or not? He is not excused. He must make expiation. The important thing is that ignorance of the punishment is not an excuse. What is the excuse? Ignorance of the ruling is the excuse. For this reason, if a person has intercourse with his wife during the day of Ramadan and says, "I did not think it was forbidden. I only thought that eating and drinking were forbidden," we say: You owe nothing. No making up and no expiation. Yes, that is right.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh. He says: I was a student in one of the universities, and I used to cheat in the end-of-year exams, even in the final year of study, the graduation year, and in the second semester. I was appointed as a teacher in the university according to my field of study, knowing that cheating is forbidden, but I did not know that anything would be required of me regarding the salary. I am now repentant, if Allah wills. So what should I do?
The Shaykh : Okay, was there cheating in the final exam or not? The last exam?
The questioner : The question is written for me, O Shaykh. I do not know.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : It is in the end-of-year work that is written for me, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : This is the end-of-year work. We are done with it. The last exam?
The questioner : It is written for me in writing.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : The question is from a person who wrote it for me.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : It is written only in the end-of-year work.
Another questioner: On behalf of him, O Shaykh. It is written for me in writing, O Shaykh. The question is only in the end-of-year work.
The Shaykh : I mean, before it was distributed? I mean, it was written for you before it was distributed?
The questioner : He wrote the question for him while he was asking.
The Shaykh : Huh?
The questioner : One person wrote the question for him while he was asking.
The Shaykh : How, yes?
The questioner : I mean, the cheater in the exam is not present.
The Shaykh : Yes, but how is the cheating now?
The questioner : He says in the end-of-year work that was written for us.
The Shaykh : The end-of-year work, leave it, leave it. The talk is about the last exams.
The questioner : We do not know.
The Shaykh : Let him wait until he comes to ask. Then, here is an issue, O people, pay attention to it: If a person knows the ruling but does not know what follows from it, is he excused? He is not excused. I mean, suppose a married man commits unlawful sexual intercourse, and he knows that unlawful sexual intercourse is forbidden, but he did not know that he would be stoned. Do we stone him or not?
The student: We stone him.
The Shaykh : We stone him, even though he says, "If I had known that the person is 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 of Ramadan and says, "I did not know that there is a severe expiation. I thought the person only makes up one day and it is over. If I had known there was a severe expiation, I would not have done it." Is he excused or not? He is not excused. He must make expiation. The important thing is that ignorance of the punishment is not an excuse. What is the excuse? Ignorance of the ruling is the excuse. For this reason, if a person has intercourse with his wife during the day of Ramadan and says, "I did not think it was forbidden. I only thought that eating and drinking were forbidden," we say: You owe nothing. No making up and no expiation. Yes, that is right.