What is the ruling on money taken by a person as a gift from a colleague, which the colleague repeatedly refused to take back, and then demanded it back after two years on the pretext that the former had lied to him about his financial situation?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
If you acquired money through deception by claiming you are unemployed, it is not initially permissible for you. However, if you inform him of the truth and he refuses to take it back, then there is no harm in you benefiting from it. If he demands its return, then tell him that one who takes back his gift is like a dog that returns to its vomit. If he insists on its return after that, then return the money to him, in accordance with the : "The example of one who takes back what he has given as a gift is like the example of a dog that vomits and then eats its vomit."
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/167863
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 167863
- 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