What is the correct way to deal with money acquired through illicit means, which cannot be returned to its owners, and which cannot be given in charity because "Allah is good and accepts only good things," knowing that using it to buy household necessities is considered benefiting from it?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is obligatory to dispose of ill-gotten gains. If it is not possible to return them to the source from which they were acquired, then they must be spent on general Muslim interests. For example, money taken from public funds should be given as charity to the poor and needy, or spent on public interests that do not yield personal benefit, such as paving roads or building schools. This charity is for the purpose of disposing of unlawful money, and the one who gives it will not be rewarded for it. It is not permissible to derive personal benefit from this money, even for purchasing personal items.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/91005
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 91005
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy