Is counterfeiting money and donating it to the poor, the needy, and orphans forbidden?

Counterfeiting money is a forbidden act, a reprehensible deception, an injustice to people, and corruption on earth. The harm resulting from the circulation of counterfeit money continues and expands, and its sin falls upon whoever initiated it, for the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Whoever introduces a bad practice, and others act upon it after him, will bear its sin, and a sin similar to that of those who acted upon it, without diminishing any of their sins."

Al-Ghazali mentioned that circulating counterfeit money is an injustice whose harm spreads widely. Some of the early Muslims considered spending a counterfeit dirham worse than stealing one hundred dirhams, because its harm persists after the perpetrator's death. It is not permissible to argue for counterfeiting money by claiming there is no other work available, as this is unacceptable. For Allah is good and accepts only that which is good, and donating from ill-gotten gains will not benefit its owner in any way.