Is it permissible for a person to take money given to him to ward off its harm if he is unaware of the prohibition of taking it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : It is doubtful that it is forbidden for the one who is given money to reconcile his heart to take the money. Is this absolute, whether it is for...
The Shaykh : No, if it is to ward off harm or danger, absolutely, only then.
The questioner : And if he is ignorant, if what? If he is ignorant...
The Shaykh : If he is ignorant, it depends on the issue of knowledge. Is knowledge required for the sin? And this has passed before us...
The questioner : But if he learns later, is he required to return it?
The Shaykh : This is a matter of consideration. It may be obligatory for him to return it because he took it without right, and it may not be obligatory due to the generality of His saying, the Exalted, regarding the one who consumes[Al-Baqarah 2:275]. Allah knows best. Take the two opinions or the two possibilities.
The Shaykh : No, if it is to ward off harm or danger, absolutely, only then.
The questioner : And if he is ignorant, if what? If he is ignorant...
The Shaykh : If he is ignorant, it depends on the issue of knowledge. Is knowledge required for the sin? And this has passed before us...
The questioner : But if he learns later, is he required to return it?
The Shaykh : This is a matter of consideration. It may be obligatory for him to return it because he took it without right, and it may not be obligatory due to the generality of His saying, the Exalted, regarding the one who consumes
interest. So whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past
الرِّبَا فَمَن جَاءَهُ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ فَانتَهَىٰ فَلَهُ مَا سَلَفَ
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 219- هل يجوز أن يأخذ المالَ مَن يُعطاه لدفع شرِّه إذا كان يجهل حُرمةَ أخذه؟ - ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.