Q80 :People who engage in certain netpetitive
professions often try to give an image of excellence about themselves
and their work. They feel that it is necessary for their business. What
does Islam say to that?
A80 : The first thing to remember in this
connection is that Islam does not approve of telling lies for any
reason except in a very small number of well-known cases. On the other
hand, Islam stresses the importance of honesty in all dealings.
Therefore, whether a person works in trade or practices a particular
profession, he must keep within these two main guidelines: Maintain
honesty and refrain from lying. If one observes these two principles,
then one may advertise his work or profession, if he deems it important
for his success. A practicing lawyer may, for example, offer his
services to the pubic stating that he is a professor of law in a
particular university. If he actually occupies such a post then there
is no harm in stating the fact to the public. If, on the other hand, he
states that he wins nine out of every ten cases he undertakes, he must
be very careful, because if his rate of success is only eight out of
ten, then he is guilty of falsehood. Many professions have developed
codes of ethics which they require every new member of the profession
to abide by. Islam has a general code of ethics which it requires all
Muslims to observe. Therefore, if a Muslim professional abides by the
Islamic code of ethics in addition to that of his profession, he will
be all right.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )