What is the ruling on one who praises Allah for the occurrence of a sin, such as cheating on an exam?
The one who commits a sin is obliged to repent and seek forgiveness, not to praise God for it. If he does not know that this act is a sin, then there is no sin upon him. However, if he knows it and praises God, belittling or deeming the sin permissible, he commits an act of disbelief (kufr). But if he praises God for achieving his objective without intending to deem the sin permissible or belittle it, he does not commit an act of disbelief. Scholars have explained that uttering "Bismillah" (in the name of God) or "Alhamdulillah" (praise be to God) when committing a sin can be unlawful (haram), and the doer commits an act of disbelief if he deems it permissible or belittles it, unless the forbidden act is unlawful for a reason other than its essence, or its unlawfulness has not been established by a definitive proof.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/166167