What is the ruling on accepting a gift from a person who deals in riba?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What is the ruling on a gift from a person?
The Shaykh : What? Hmm.
The questioner : A gift from a person who deals in riba, although he does not know whether it is truly from riba, or from lawful wealth, or from unlawful wealth.
The Shaykh : I will ask you: Do the Jews eat riba or not?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Do the Jews eat riba or not? Do the Jews eat riba or not? Do they eat it? Yes, they eat it.
The Shaykh : I do not know.
The Shaykh :[An-Nisa 4:155] until he said: [An-Nisa 4:161] And despite that, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted their gifts; he accepted the gift of the woman who gave him a sheep in Khaybar, and he dealt with them, and he died with his armor pledged to a Jew.
Therefore, we have a rule: that what is forbidden to earn is forbidden only for the one who earns it, not for the one who takes it from him through a permissible means.
Did you understand the rule? Be patient, teach me what you understood from it? What is forbidden.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Did any of you understand the rule? What is forbidden, not what is forbidden, what is forbidden.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What is forbidden to earn means what is forbidden because of the earning.
The questioner : Yes, what is forbidden for the person to earn...
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
And a gift from his wealth, which is riba, is permissible to accept; buying and selling with him is permissible, except if there is a benefit in boycotting him, meaning in not dealing with him and not accepting his gift, then we follow this seeking the benefit.
As for what is forbidden in itself, it is forbidden for the taker and others. For example, if a Jew, or a Christian who considers khamr permissible, gives me khamr as a gift, is it permissible for me to accept it? No, because it is forbidden for me in itself. And if a person steals someone's wealth and comes and gives me that stolen wealth, is it forbidden or not? Answer, everyone. It is forbidden, because this wealth itself—peace be upon you—this wealth itself is forbidden. Is it clear now?
This rule relieves you of many difficulties. What is forbidden to earn: Answer, what is forbidden to earn is forbidden for the earner, not for the one who takes it through the halal, except if there is a benefit in boycotting him, not taking from him, not accepting his gift, and not buying from him, which would deter him from this action, then he is boycotted for the sake of seeking the benefit.
Even eating; did not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) accept the invitation of a Jew and eat from his food, and eat from the woman's food as well? Yes. And let us proceed in order, brothers, go ahead?
The Shaykh : What? Hmm.
The questioner : A gift from a person who deals in riba, although he does not know whether it is truly from riba, or from lawful wealth, or from unlawful wealth.
The Shaykh : I will ask you: Do the Jews eat riba or not?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Do the Jews eat riba or not? Do the Jews eat riba or not? Do they eat it? Yes, they eat it.
The Shaykh : I do not know.
The Shaykh :
And [We cursed them] for their breaking of the covenant and their disbelief in the signs of Allah and their killing of the prophets without right and their saying, "Our hearts are wrapped". Rather, Allah has sealed them because of their disbelief, so they believe not, except for a few.
فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مِيثَاقَهُمْ وقتلهم الأنبياء بغير حقAnd [for] their taking of usury while they had been forbidden from it, and their consuming of the people's wealth unjustly.
وَأَخْذِهِمُ الرِّبا وَقَدْ نُهُوا عَنْهُ وَأَكْلِهِمْ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِTherefore, we have a rule: that what is forbidden to earn is forbidden only for the one who earns it, not for the one who takes it from him through a permissible means.
Did you understand the rule? Be patient, teach me what you understood from it? What is forbidden.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Did any of you understand the rule? What is forbidden, not what is forbidden, what is forbidden.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What is forbidden to earn means what is forbidden because of the earning.
The questioner : Yes, what is forbidden for the person to earn...
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
And a gift from his wealth, which is riba, is permissible to accept; buying and selling with him is permissible, except if there is a benefit in boycotting him, meaning in not dealing with him and not accepting his gift, then we follow this seeking the benefit.
As for what is forbidden in itself, it is forbidden for the taker and others. For example, if a Jew, or a Christian who considers khamr permissible, gives me khamr as a gift, is it permissible for me to accept it? No, because it is forbidden for me in itself. And if a person steals someone's wealth and comes and gives me that stolen wealth, is it forbidden or not? Answer, everyone. It is forbidden, because this wealth itself—peace be upon you—this wealth itself is forbidden. Is it clear now?
This rule relieves you of many difficulties. What is forbidden to earn: Answer, what is forbidden to earn is forbidden for the earner, not for the one who takes it through the halal, except if there is a benefit in boycotting him, not taking from him, not accepting his gift, and not buying from him, which would deter him from this action, then he is boycotted for the sake of seeking the benefit.
Even eating; did not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) accept the invitation of a Jew and eat from his food, and eat from the woman's food as well? Yes. And let us proceed in order, brothers, go ahead?