A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.
The meaning of deception is broad and not restricted.
Deception is not limited to sales and commerce.
Even though that is its most famous manifestation.
For the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
when he reached his hand into a pile of food at the market
and found it to be wet,
he said to the seller:
"Whoever deceives is not one of me."
Narrated by Muslim.
He used the term deception in a general sense,
without restricting it to sales,
nor limiting it to that sphere.
It is the same Prophet, peace be upon him, who said:
"There is no ruler who governs the subjects of the Muslims,
and dies while he is deceiving them,
but that Allah will forbid Paradise to him."
Agreed upon.
The deception of a ruler toward his subjects
is not in sales and commerce;
rather, it is by failing to offer them sincere counsel,
and failing to look after them and uphold their interests in all their affairs,
both religious and worldly alike.
Among this is ruling by other than what Allah has revealed,
which is one of the greatest forms of deception,
because it is deception regarding sincere counsel and the religion.
Also included is leaving the innovator to his innovation,
and the misguided to his misguidance,
and the failure of scholars to offer sincere counsel to sultans and leaders,
just as sultans fail to offer sincere counsel to their subjects.