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What are the illicit earnings according to the four (Sunni) schools of thought, and what are the reasons that necessitate the prohibition of things or earnings?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

An important principle in transactions is that the default is permissibility unless they involve something prohibited. Prohibited earnings are many, including: usury (riba), consuming people's wealth unjustly, bribery, selling what one does not possess, 'inah sale (buy-back agreement), and selling a fetus in its mother's womb. The prohibition of these matters can be attributed to three things: usury of all kinds, consuming wealth unjustly such as through cheating and deception, and ignorance and excessive uncertainty (gharar).

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

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