Dr. Mahmoud Shalaby, Fatwa Official at Al-Azhar, answered a question about helping classmates during exams, clarifying the Islamic stance.

He noted that cooperation among people is commendable in Islam if it is based on righteousness and piety, but assisting in sin and wrongdoing is prohibited.

Shalaby explained that helping a classmate cheat constitutes assisting in sin and is forbidden, citing the Prophet Muhammad’s saying: "Whoever cheats us is not one of us." He emphasized that this applies to all forms of cheating, not only in food or drink but in any breach of trust or ethical rules.

He also stressed that answering a classmate’s exam questions contradicts the exam’s primary purpose of assessing the student’s abilities, making it a religiously impermissible act. Islam encourages honesty and integrity, and cheating in any form violates these principles.