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Is it permissible for embassy employees to take money resulting from the sale of exemptions on alcoholic beverages obtained by the diplomat, considering it a gift, or is it permissible for the employee to take it and donate it to the poor?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is not permissible for a Muslim who believes in Allah and the Last Day to sell alcoholic beverages or assist in their sale, due to the curses mentioned in the noble Sunnah upon everyone who is remotely or closely associated with alcohol. Selling alcohol exemptions includes the seller within this curse, even if he sells them to a disbeliever. This money is unlawful only for the one who earns it. If the unlawful money reaches poor Muslims or employees through a gift or similar means, then it becomes lawful for them to consume it and benefit from it. However, it is not permissible for the one who earned the unlawful money to dispose of it through an expiation for an oath or otherwise; rather, he must return it to the entity that granted it to him.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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