Unlawful Money and Its Disposal
This subtopic gathers questions on money already acquired in a way that is unlawful or doubtful. They include interest received, mixed money, and how to dispose of or purify it.
Questions readers ask here:
- What should one do who has unintentionally eaten food that is not theirs?
- How is sincere repentance and restitution for injustices possible when one is unable to repay them at once?
- Is it permissible to benefit from a deceased father's wealth if it is mixed with earnings from usury?
- Is it permissible to take money that will be given as a reward for an alleged success?
Questions about the work, rather than the money after the fact, belong under Working Around the Impermissible.
104 questions
Is it permissible to receive a large prize amount from an alcohol company, even if it is intended to be spent on good causes?
How can one dispose of ill-gotten money that cannot be returned to its original sources?
What must I do to compensate for a donation I took to cover a deficit in a Quran memorization center five years ago? And do I bear sin or require expiation?
Is it permissible to eat from or benefit from the money of a person whose source is doubtful, knowing that refusing to take from it may lead to cutting ties or affecting his wife?
What should I do with a gift I received to which I am not entitled, especially given that I have no connection to the giver?
What is the way to purify the earnings from a taxi bought with money, a quarter of which is unlawful? Is it sufficient to donate a quarter of its price for it to become lawful, or must it be sold, or will its income remain unlawful no matter what is done?
Is money taken from a man whose source of wealth is unknown, and who gives preferential treatment based on whether one smokes or not, lawful or unlawful?
Is it permissible to buy a refrigerator for one's mother with money that is suspected of being unlawfully acquired, knowing that the questioner is not obligated to spend on her?
Is it considered an injustice not to give a young man what was agreed upon to a girl who exposes her body for money, and what should he do if he cannot reach her?
What should I do regarding my taking things that don't belong to me from friends and siblings in my childhood without returning them, and taking sweets from the grocer secretly and without paying?
Is it obligatory to give away money earned from committing sodomy after repentance, knowing that this money has been fully spent?
What is the ruling on money remaining from a sum taken in exchange for issuing labor visas, part of which was lost and the rest invested in a business project with lawful money, and is self-purification obligatory after the other party has benefited from the transaction?
Is it permissible to eat from the money of a man who works in a government agency and does not go to his work regularly, yet receives his full salary due to an injury and seniority? Are his purchases for the marital home permissible? And is it obligatory to complete the marriage with his daughter?
Does the invalidation of good deeds for forty days—due to consuming unlawful earnings—also apply to wearing unlawful garments or riding something purchased with unlawful money, and what is the evidence for that?
What is the correct way to deal with money acquired through illicit means, which cannot be returned to its owners, and which cannot be given in charity because "Allah is good and accepts only good things," knowing that using it to buy household necessities is considered benefiting from it?
How can previous money, acquired from work involving ambiguities, be purified if none of it remains, and is it sufficient to establish a charitable project through one's own effort instead of money for repentance and the purification of those funds?
What is the ruling concerning my work if it involves a mixture of lawful and unlawful elements, and can one benefit from mixed wealth, and what is the preponderant opinion among the sayings of the scholars on this matter?
A man acquired ill-gotten wealth, and praise be to Allah, he has repented. What should he do with it?
What is the ruling of the Sharia concerning money acquired through unlawful means and mixed with lawful money, which was then spent on furnishing an apartment and paying off debts, knowing that I have repented and reside in this apartment, and my husband does not own a home? And what should I do with this money or the apartment to rid myself of the sin?
Is it permissible to benefit from spare phone parts left over after maintenance, especially if they are usable and you forgot to return them to the customer?
What is the description of the situation where the descendants of foreign invaders lay claim to the land of the Western Clan, and what must they do to absolve themselves if they have incurred a sin by this?
How do we judge those around us regarding the lawfulness of their earnings and whether they are suitable for marriage (مصاهرة) or partnership in business, especially if they exploit their positions for personal gain and accept gifts due to their influence?
Must I buy meat or donate money instead of the portion of the Udhiyah that my father took and disposed of, knowing that I do not know the weight or value of the piece, and that my friend, the owner of the Udhiyah, does not know about this?
What is the ruling on money acquired from a suspect guest in a hotel, and how are the self and the money purified from it, especially if it has mingled with salaries and investments? Is it obligatory to donate it for the benefit of Muslims, and how is its proportion calculated in conjunction with losses in the stock market?