Fatwa ID: 07142
Answered by: Muftiyah Zainab Nakhuda
Question:
Child Benefits received in lieu if withholding income, what is the hukm?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
What I understand from this question is that the person is receiving more Child Benefits money than they are rightful of because they are hiding/withholding from the government how much money they actually make (their true income). This would be unlawful to do as it is deception and the money one receives by doing this will also be Haraam[1].
The Prophet SAW has stated:
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَرَّ عَلَى صُبْرَةٍ مِنْ طَعَامٍ فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِيهَا فَنَالَتْ أَصَابِعُهُ بَلَلاً فَقَالَ ” يَا صَاحِبَ الطَّعَامِ مَا هَذَا ” . قَالَ أَصَابَتْهُ السَّمَاءُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ ” أَفَلاَ جَعَلْتَهُ فَوْقَ الطَّعَامِ حَتَّى يَرَاهُ النَّاسُ ” . ثُمَّ قَالَ ” مَنْ غَشَّ فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا ” . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ وَأَبِي الْحَمْرَاءِ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَبُرَيْدَةَ وَأَبِي بُرْدَةَ بْنِ نِيَارٍ وَحُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ الْيَمَانِ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ كَرِهُوا الْغِشَّ وَقَالُوا الْغِشُّ حَرَامٌ .
Narrated Abu Hurairah: That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed by a pile of food. He put his fingers in it and felt wetness. He said: ‘O owner of the food! What is this ?’ He replied: ‘It was rained upon O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Why not put it on top of the food so the people can see it?’ Then he said: ‘Whoever cheats, he is not one of us.’“
Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1315
Similarly, the Prophet SAW was asked:
عَنْ رِفَاعَةَ بْنِ رَافِعٍ - رضى الله عنه - أَنَّ اَلنَّبِيَّ - صلى الله عليه وسلم -سُئِلَ: أَيُّ اَلْكَسْبِ أَطْيَبُ? قَالَ: { عَمَلُ اَلرَّجُلِ بِيَدِهِ, وَكُلُّ بَيْعٍ مَبْرُورٍ } رَوَاهُ اَلْبَزَّارُ، وَصَحَّحَهُ اَلْحَاكِمُ.
Narrated Rifa’a bin Rafi’ (RA): The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked, ‘What type of earning is best?’ He replied, “A man’s work with his hand and every transaction which is free from cheating or deception.”
[Reported by al-Bazzar; al-Hakim graded it Sahih (authentic)].
Reference: Bulugh al-Maram, Hadith 784
One should return the money if possible or spend it in charity without any hope of reward[2].
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Muftiyah Zainab Nakhuda
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1] Al Iqtisaad Al Islaami, page 18/27, Al-Ma’had Al-Uroobi Li Al-Uloom Al-Insaaniyyah
الأصل الثاني: تحريم أكل المال بالباطل. والمقصود: كسبه وتحصيله. (…) و صور أكل المال بالباطل تنتظم فيما يلي:
(…)
- الغش
[2] Raddul Muhtaar, page 385, volume 6, Maktabah Shamelah
وَقَالَ فِي النِّهَايَةِ: قَالَ بَعْضُ مَشَايِخِنَا: كَسْبُ الْمُغَنِّيَةِ كَالْمَغْصُوبِ لَمْ يَحِلَّ أَخْذُهُ، وَعَلَى هَذَا قَالُوا لَوْ مَاتَ الرَّجُلُ وَكَسْبُهُ مِنْ بَيْعِ الْبَاذَقِ أَوْ الظُّلْمِ أَوْ أَخْذِ الرِّشْوَةِ يَتَوَرَّعُ الْوَرَثَةُ، وَلَا يَأْخُذُونَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا وَهُوَ أَوْلَى بِهِمْ وَيَرُدُّونَهَا عَلَى أَرْبَابِهَا إنْ عَرَفُوهُمْ، وَإِلَّا تَصَدَّقُوا بِهَا لِأَنَّ سَبِيلَ الْكَسْبِ الْخَبِيثِ التَّصَدُّقُ إذَا تَعَذَّرَ الرَّدُّ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ
