The Mixing of Lawful and Unlawful Wealth and Bribery
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Fatwa No. ( 4772 )
Q: If money that comes from a lawful source is mixed with money that comes from a forbidden source , what is its ruling? This happens in dealings with individuals and the government. And what is the ruling on using money if I know it came from a suspicious source , and I have refuted it with the one who brings it? Is it permissible for me to use it? Is it permissible for me to work in these factories, knowing that this situation occurs in them? Despite my strong refutation of them, and because my father insists that I work with him, especially in the field of accounting. If my father tells me that he bears the responsibility and the sin, is it permissible for me to fulfill my father's request in this job, and to eat from what comes from this job? Knowing that I am able to get a job, as you know, anywhere and for any amount, but after angering my father; because it is obvious that he will not accept that. Is it permissible for me to stay in the house with this community, even if leaving it would lead to great harm in the family's situation? After all this, I ask your Eminence to study this letter of mine carefully, and to note the situations that pull me from all directions. Religion requires me not to sustain my body with what is forbidden—if that thing is forbidden—and my situation inside the house is difficult; in that I cannot leave the house, nor can any of my brothers; because we have not
even thought about that, rather my presence in the house has its effect in eliminating some things that religion does not approve of, and my absence may lead to their spread in the house.
A : First : Giving and taking bribery is haram, for the briber, the one who takes the bribe, and the one who mediates between them. Second : A fatwa has been issued by us regarding the ruling on benefiting from wealth in which its lawful and unlawful parts are mixed, No. (2512) dated 28 \ 7 \ 1399 AH, and its text is: If you know that what is given to you as a gift, or food presented to you to eat from, is itself haram, then do not eat from it, and do not accept it as a gift. The ruling is the same if all their earnings are haram. And if what they earned of lawful and what they earned of unlawful is not distinguished, then there is disagreement among scholars regarding accepting a gift from them or eating their food in hospitality or the like. It was said: It is absolutely haram. It was said: If the haram in it exceeds one-third, then it is haram to eat from it and accept their gift. It was said: If the haram is more than the lawful, then it is haram to consume it by eating and to accept it as a gift. It was said: It is not absolutely haram, so one accepts the gift from one whose earnings are mixed and eats from it if he presents it to him as food. And this is the apparent view; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted a roasted sheep from a Jewish woman and ate from it. And because of the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Ma'idah 5:5] , and it is known that the Jews and Christians eat riba (usury or interest), and do
not seek lawful earnings, rather they earn both haram and halal. And Allah has permitted eating their food, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ate from it. And a group narrated from the hadith of Sufyan al-Thawri from Salama ibn Kahil from Dhur ibn Abdullah from Ibn Mas'ud , that a man asked him and said: I have a neighbor who eats riba (usury or interest) and keeps inviting me. He said: (His blessing is for you, and his sin is upon him). And if the Muslim were to purify himself from mixing with them and excessive gift-giving and visiting between him and them, and limit it to what necessity or need calls for, that would be better for him. Third : It is not permissible for you to work in these factories, even in accounting, while you know their condition mentioned in your inquiry; because of what is in that of cooperation in sin and transgression. And Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:2] . Except if you have authority and power to change the prohibitions in them, then your staying in the work with them is better than leaving it; because of the reform and changing of what is wrong that results from your staying in it. Fourth : Your father’s undertaking to bear the responsibility for committing the wrongs that occur in the procedures of these factories does not benefit you; because of His saying the Exalted: [Al-An'am 6:164] , and His saying: [Luqman 31:33] ,
and on this basis, it is not permissible for you to fulfill his request in this work even if he becomes angry; because there is no obedience to a created being in disobedience to the Creator, and obedience is only in what is good, except if you are able to change the wrong and hope that you will change it. Fifth : If your staying with them in the house is expected to lead to the improvement of their Islamic conditions by your advising them, and their abandoning what they commit that contradicts the Shari'ah, then the good is in your dwelling with them. Otherwise, do not stay with them, and treat them in this world with kindness, maintaining family ties, and follow the path of one who turns to Allah. And you are more aware of your own condition: are you able to reform and change the wrong, or not? And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Q: If money that comes from a lawful source is mixed with money that comes from a forbidden source , what is its ruling? This happens in dealings with individuals and the government. And what is the ruling on using money if I know it came from a suspicious source , and I have refuted it with the one who brings it? Is it permissible for me to use it? Is it permissible for me to work in these factories, knowing that this situation occurs in them? Despite my strong refutation of them, and because my father insists that I work with him, especially in the field of accounting. If my father tells me that he bears the responsibility and the sin, is it permissible for me to fulfill my father's request in this job, and to eat from what comes from this job? Knowing that I am able to get a job, as you know, anywhere and for any amount, but after angering my father; because it is obvious that he will not accept that. Is it permissible for me to stay in the house with this community, even if leaving it would lead to great harm in the family's situation? After all this, I ask your Eminence to study this letter of mine carefully, and to note the situations that pull me from all directions. Religion requires me not to sustain my body with what is forbidden—if that thing is forbidden—and my situation inside the house is difficult; in that I cannot leave the house, nor can any of my brothers; because we have not
even thought about that, rather my presence in the house has its effect in eliminating some things that religion does not approve of, and my absence may lead to their spread in the house.
A : First : Giving and taking bribery is haram, for the briber, the one who takes the bribe, and the one who mediates between them. Second : A fatwa has been issued by us regarding the ruling on benefiting from wealth in which its lawful and unlawful parts are mixed, No. (2512) dated 28 \ 7 \ 1399 AH, and its text is: If you know that what is given to you as a gift, or food presented to you to eat from, is itself haram, then do not eat from it, and do not accept it as a gift. The ruling is the same if all their earnings are haram. And if what they earned of lawful and what they earned of unlawful is not distinguished, then there is disagreement among scholars regarding accepting a gift from them or eating their food in hospitality or the like. It was said: It is absolutely haram. It was said: If the haram in it exceeds one-third, then it is haram to eat from it and accept their gift. It was said: If the haram is more than the lawful, then it is haram to consume it by eating and to accept it as a gift. It was said: It is not absolutely haram, so one accepts the gift from one whose earnings are mixed and eats from it if he presents it to him as food. And this is the apparent view; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted a roasted sheep from a Jewish woman and ate from it. And because of the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
and the food of those who were given the Scripture is lawful for you
وَطَعَامُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ حِلٌّ لَكُمْnot seek lawful earnings, rather they earn both haram and halal. And Allah has permitted eating their food, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ate from it. And a group narrated from the hadith of Sufyan al-Thawri from Salama ibn Kahil from Dhur ibn Abdullah from Ibn Mas'ud , that a man asked him and said: I have a neighbor who eats riba (usury or interest) and keeps inviting me. He said: (His blessing is for you, and his sin is upon him). And if the Muslim were to purify himself from mixing with them and excessive gift-giving and visiting between him and them, and limit it to what necessity or need calls for, that would be better for him. Third : It is not permissible for you to work in these factories, even in accounting, while you know their condition mentioned in your inquiry; because of what is in that of cooperation in sin and transgression. And Allah the Exalted said:
but do not cooperate in sin and aggression
وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِand no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another
وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىO mankind, fear your Lord and fear a Day when no father will avail his son, nor will a son avail his father at all
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ وَاخْشَوْا يَوْمًا لاَ يَجْزِي وَالِدٌ عَنْ وَلَدِهِ وَلاَ مَوْلُودٌ هُوَ جَازٍ عَنْ وَالِدِهِ شَيْئًاand on this basis, it is not permissible for you to fulfill his request in this work even if he becomes angry; because there is no obedience to a created being in disobedience to the Creator, and obedience is only in what is good, except if you are able to change the wrong and hope that you will change it. Fifth : If your staying with them in the house is expected to lead to the improvement of their Islamic conditions by your advising them, and their abandoning what they commit that contradicts the Shari'ah, then the good is in your dwelling with them. Otherwise, do not stay with them, and treat them in this world with kindness, maintaining family ties, and follow the path of one who turns to Allah. And you are more aware of your own condition: are you able to reform and change the wrong, or not? And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.