Doctor Perfect in his Job But Had Cheated In Exams
14-11-2019 | IslamWeb
Question:
Assalamualaikum,I m Indian,as cheating is much common here in exams,I have cheated in my 10th,and alittle in 10 2exams,then was entrance exam in which I m not sure I cheated,on basis of this exam marks,I got admission in BAMS degree(bachelor of Ayurveda medicine and surgery)then in all first to final years,I have cheated very much in theory exams,in viva I haven't,but basically I used to be a sincere student,after completing my degree I practiced in various hospitals as doctor,and trainee now I want to open my own clinic,but the thing bothering me is,are my earnings halal,if could have failed I would have passed it later,many patients are satisfied with my treatment,also I love to treat patients,what should I do,if I stopped all,there is loss of patients too,plzz help me...also if I crack govt job exams without cheating in future,will that earnings be halal?or should I open my own clinic?in both situations are my earnings halal?I hav repented very much,should I tell this to patients,others or hide it..plzz reply, JazakAllah
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that none is worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.
You must seek the forgiveness of Allah for cheating in all the stages of your study. As regards practicing the profession you master and perform properly (as required), then there is no problem in this. You can benefit from the earnings that you will gain from it, whether by opening a private clinic or by applying to work in governmental jobs.
The prominent scholar Ibn Baaz 
was asked:
“A man works based on a scientific certificate he has, but he had cheated in the exams that entitle him to obtain this certificate. However, now he is doing his job very well, according to the testimony of his directors. What is the ruling on his salary? Is it lawful or unlawful?”
He replied, “There is no harm in taking it (the salary), Allah willing, but he must repent from cheating he did. If he is doing his job as due, then there is nothing wrong with his earnings; but he was wrong to cheat before and must repent to Allah from it.” [End of quote]
For more benefit on the ruling on certificates and earnings if one cheated in exams, please refer to Fataawa 397198, 344719, 358828, 191489, 355567, and 362809.
Allah knows best.