Getting rid of the earnings from a café where forbidden items are sold
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Fatwa number ( 20272 )
Q: During the blessed liberation revolution, and specifically in 1960 CE, my father was conscripted by the oppressive French colonial regime for national service in Germany, so he went to Germany and during his service he lost a finger, which he then had attached
with a piece of gold. My father completed his national service and returned to Algeria after independence, and he began receiving a monthly salary for his finger. He invested this salary in a joint-stock company. In 1963 CE, he emigrated to France to work there. After arriving, may Allah guide him, and praise be to Allah, he found halal work. He first worked cleaning the sewers, then moved to working as a builder for three years. In 1966 CE, after obtaining a driver's license, he moved to work as a truck driver for a company, and he remained in this job until 1982 CE. Up to this point, everything was normal, praise be to Allah. But during this job, the fateful day came when my father met some bad friends. They whispered to him and said: "Leave this job of yours—the driving—and come, let us partner in buying a café." This bad friend kept whispering to my father until he convinced him to buy the café. He left his job as a driver, and indeed the café was purchased in that same year, 1982 CE. The new work began, and they were selling in this café: coffee, tea, soft drinks, and alcohol—may Allah reward you. According to my father, he swore to us that he did not know that selling alcohol was among the forbidden things, due to the ignorance that was prevalent during the colonial era and after. But my father did not stop this work; he remained in it, and the haram money increased day after day. We built two houses from it,
and my father bought some cars and sold them. We now own two houses and two cars: one large one that my brother works with, and a smaller one for the house. After all these years, my father wanted to repent to Allah with sincere repentance. He is regretful of everything he did and wants to repent to Allah and leave this work. So he decided this year to sell the café, may Allah make it easy for him. Knowing that after he reaches the age of 60, he will have two retirement pensions: a retirement pension from his first job, which is halal by the permission of Allah, and a retirement pension from his second job, which is haram. O honorable Shaykh, this is my complete problem. I hope you will issue a ruling on it and show us the way to get out of this dilemma, for we are confused about our matter and have not found anyone to issue a ruling for us.
A: If the situation is as you described, then your father, after repenting to Allah, if he knows the amount of haram money he obtained from the first and second cafés, must get rid of it by placing it in a public project that people benefit from, or by giving it to the poor and needy with the intention of getting rid of it, not with the intention of charity. And if he does not know the amount of the haram money, he should estimate it based on what is most likely in his opinion, and do with it what we mentioned.
And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: During the blessed liberation revolution, and specifically in 1960 CE, my father was conscripted by the oppressive French colonial regime for national service in Germany, so he went to Germany and during his service he lost a finger, which he then had attached
with a piece of gold. My father completed his national service and returned to Algeria after independence, and he began receiving a monthly salary for his finger. He invested this salary in a joint-stock company. In 1963 CE, he emigrated to France to work there. After arriving, may Allah guide him, and praise be to Allah, he found halal work. He first worked cleaning the sewers, then moved to working as a builder for three years. In 1966 CE, after obtaining a driver's license, he moved to work as a truck driver for a company, and he remained in this job until 1982 CE. Up to this point, everything was normal, praise be to Allah. But during this job, the fateful day came when my father met some bad friends. They whispered to him and said: "Leave this job of yours—the driving—and come, let us partner in buying a café." This bad friend kept whispering to my father until he convinced him to buy the café. He left his job as a driver, and indeed the café was purchased in that same year, 1982 CE. The new work began, and they were selling in this café: coffee, tea, soft drinks, and alcohol—may Allah reward you. According to my father, he swore to us that he did not know that selling alcohol was among the forbidden things, due to the ignorance that was prevalent during the colonial era and after. But my father did not stop this work; he remained in it, and the haram money increased day after day. We built two houses from it,
and my father bought some cars and sold them. We now own two houses and two cars: one large one that my brother works with, and a smaller one for the house. After all these years, my father wanted to repent to Allah with sincere repentance. He is regretful of everything he did and wants to repent to Allah and leave this work. So he decided this year to sell the café, may Allah make it easy for him. Knowing that after he reaches the age of 60, he will have two retirement pensions: a retirement pension from his first job, which is halal by the permission of Allah, and a retirement pension from his second job, which is haram. O honorable Shaykh, this is my complete problem. I hope you will issue a ruling on it and show us the way to get out of this dilemma, for we are confused about our matter and have not found anyone to issue a ruling for us.
A: If the situation is as you described, then your father, after repenting to Allah, if he knows the amount of haram money he obtained from the first and second cafés, must get rid of it by placing it in a public project that people benefit from, or by giving it to the poor and needy with the intention of getting rid of it, not with the intention of charity. And if he does not know the amount of the haram money, he should estimate it based on what is most likely in his opinion, and do with it what we mentioned.
And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.