What is the ruling on deceiving the government regarding taxes through forgery?
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The questioner : We move on, if Allah wills, from combating the devils of the jinn to combating the devils of mankind.
The Shaykh : Excuse me, excuse me, I did not understand, my brother.
The questioner : I told you, we move from combating the devils of the jinn to combating the devils of mankind, meaning...
The Shaykh : All right, please go ahead.
The questioner : What is your opinion on deceiving the government in the matter of taxes through forgery?
The Shaykh : Yes, we do not consider it permissible except in a case that may be rare. First, we must keep in mind a fact that I believe to be true, which is that not all taxes are the same in terms of prohibition. Many of the taxes may be *makus* (arbitrary levies), as mentioned in some hadiths, but other taxes are necessary to rectify the life of the nation, for example, taxes for paving roads and the like. So, if we keep this fact in mind first, and then consider that we are deceiving regarding a type of tax that is not of the kind that the state must impose on the nation, then it can be said that for this type of *makus*, it is permissible to deceive, on the condition that the Muslim who deceives is safe from the state discovering his matter. Because if his matter is discovered, his religion and his creed will be attacked. Is the answer clear?
The questioner : Yes
The Shaykh : Excuse me, excuse me, I did not understand, my brother.
The questioner : I told you, we move from combating the devils of the jinn to combating the devils of mankind, meaning...
The Shaykh : All right, please go ahead.
The questioner : What is your opinion on deceiving the government in the matter of taxes through forgery?
The Shaykh : Yes, we do not consider it permissible except in a case that may be rare. First, we must keep in mind a fact that I believe to be true, which is that not all taxes are the same in terms of prohibition. Many of the taxes may be *makus* (arbitrary levies), as mentioned in some hadiths, but other taxes are necessary to rectify the life of the nation, for example, taxes for paving roads and the like. So, if we keep this fact in mind first, and then consider that we are deceiving regarding a type of tax that is not of the kind that the state must impose on the nation, then it can be said that for this type of *makus*, it is permissible to deceive, on the condition that the Muslim who deceives is safe from the state discovering his matter. Because if his matter is discovered, his religion and his creed will be attacked. Is the answer clear?
The questioner : Yes