Question

Assalam Walykum

I have started my first year in university as an architecture student. To get into this degree I had to submit a portfolio with a cover letter. The cover letter is one page showing my interests, career goals, why I want to study architecture etc. Because I was struggling to write this, I referred to another cover letter sample online from the same university. I used this person’s cover letter to write my own. I copied the structure and used the same sentences that this person wrote and changed it a bit so it fit my own cover letter. However, there are two sentences that I wrote that are very similar to the sample cover letter.
I reworded what the sample wrote, basically copying and not being completely honest. For one of the sentences I don’t fully remember if I reworded a few of the words from the sample cover letter or if I wrote it on my own.

But the other sentence, I know for sure that I basically just copied from the sample cover letter and just reworded it into my own and wasn’t fully honest in what I wrote.

I’ve been accepted into this course, however, now I’m wondering if this makes my income haram if I get a job from this degree in the future, because I’ve basically copied one sentence and maybe another one and included it in my own cover letter, and wasn’t fully truthful in at least one of the sentences that I wrote. Also Iike I mentioned at the start , I copied the structure and used the same sentence starters used in the sample cover letter.

I emailed the programme director before, to say that I had used the sample cover letter as a template and he said that he thinks it’s ok. But I think I should’ve told him that I copied the structure of it and copied and reworded one of the sentences from the sample cover letter that I don’t really mean.
and possibly a part of another sentence that I might have copied and reworded.

I’m really stressed out that this might lead me to be taken out of this course and am also worried that this might make my  income haram that I might earn later on potentially from this degree. Please inform me on whether my income would be haram and if I should tell the programme director that I did this.
Jazakallah

Answer

If you feel that you have deceived the university by not being totally honest in your application then you should repent to Allah the Almighty for this dishonesty and should make a firm resolution not to do the same again.

As for your income, this would still be lawful for you to take and use. The reason for this is that the payments you receive are in consideration for the work that you do, and if you are fulfilling your work related duties then you will be entitled to full pay and will be permitted to take it.

Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow

Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel