Does charity become affected by the recipient's lack of knowledge regarding the source of the money, whether it be unlawful or lawful?
The fundamental principle concerning the affairs of Muslims is to interpret them favorably. Therefore, if a person is offered charity and does not know whether it comes from lawful or unlawful means, it is permissible for them to accept it, and it should be presumed to be lawful, in accordance with the underlying principle. However, if it becomes clear that it originates from unlawful wealth, then there is no reward for it, and it will not be accepted from the one who gave it as charity, because Allah is pure and accepts only what is pure.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/170219