Fatwa ID: 08232

Answered by: Alimah Humairah Badshah

Question:

salaam, I am confused about whether it is haram or halal to give taxes in a country when they are supporting war. The taxes of course don’t always go to war – a portion is for the benefit of the people and a portion is being used by the government for the wrong things. It is against the law to not pay taxes and we are supposed to abide by the law, but I am not sure what to do as it does not feel right to pay even though my taxes are really low. Is it a lesser evil to pay as we don’t know if our payments are allocated there?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

Wa’alaykumussalaam,

A Muslim who is in a land of non-Muslims, even one which is at war with the Muslims, is under an oath and a trust to follow the laws of the land. It is necessary for one to pay one’s taxes, and forbidden to steal or do fraud. Therefore, a Muslim paying their taxes is following what Islam instructs them to do, and it would be against Islam not to pay them.

As for what the money is used for, it is not one’s responsibility to determine what the money will be used for when one pays any tax, fine, or payment to anyone. For this reason, it is also permissible to perform most types of transactions with those at war with the Muslims (except that one may not sell them military supplies). One should hope and put their trust in Allah that their portion of the tax funds are being used for beneficial purposes.

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Alimah Humairah Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

References:

بَابُ الْمُسْتَأْمِنِ أَيْ الطَّالِبِ لِلْأَمَانِ (هُوَ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ دَارَ غَيْرِهِ بِأَمَانٍ) مُسْلِمًا كَانَ أَوْ حَرْبِيًّا (دَخَلَ مُسْلِمٌ دَارَ الْحَرْبِ بِأَمَانٍ حَرُمَ تَعَرُّضُهُ لِشَيْءٍ) مِنْ دَمٍ وَمَالٍ وَفَرْجٍ (مِنْهُمْ) إذْ الْمُسْلِمُونَ عِنْدَ شُرُوطِهِمْ

…

لَوْ غَصَبَ مِنْهُمْ شَيْئًا رَدَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وُجُوبًا

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لِأَنَّهُ ضَمِنَ بِالِاسْتِئْمَانِ أَنْ لَا يَتَعَرَّضَ لَهُمْ، وَالْغَدْرُ حَرَامٌ

Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.4 p.166

(قَوْلُهُ وَلَمْ نَبِعْ إلَخْ) أَرَادَ بِهِ التَّمْلِيكَ بِوَجْهٍ كَالْهِبَةِ قُهُسْتَانِيٌّ، بَلْ الظَّاهِرُ أَنَّ الْإِيجَارَ وَالْإِعَارَةَ كَذَلِكَ أَفَادَهُ الْحَمَوِيُّ؛ لِأَنَّ الْعِلَّةَ مَنْعُ مَا فِيهِ تَقْوِيَةٌ عَلَى قِتَالِنَا كَمَا أَفَادَهُ كَلَامُ الْمُصَنِّفِ (قَوْلُهُ يَحْرُمُ) أَيْ يُكْرَهُ كَرَاهَةَ تَحْرِيمٍ قُهُسْتَانِيٌّ (قَوْلُهُ كَحَدِيدٍ) وَكَسِلَاحٍ مِمَّا اُسْتُعْمِلَ لِلْحَرْبِ، وَلَوْ صَغِيرًا كَالْإِبْرَةِ، وَكَذَا مَا فِي حُكْمِهِ مِنْ الْحَرِيرِ وَالدِّيبَاجِ فَإِنَّ تَمْلِيكَهُ مَكْرُوهٌ؛ لِأَنَّهُ يُصْنَعُ مِنْهُ الرَّايَةُ قُهُسْتَانِيٌّ (قَوْلُهُ وَعَبِيدٍ) ؛ لِأَنَّهُمْ يَتَوَالَدُونَ عِنْدَهُمْ فَيَعُودُونَ حَرْبًا عَلَيْنَا مُسْلِمًا كَانَ الرَّقِيقُ أَوْ كَافِرًا بَحْرٌ (قَوْلُهُ وَلَا نَحْمِلُهُ إلَيْهِمْ) أَيْ لِبَيْعٍ وَنَحْوِهِ فَلَا بَأْسَ لِتَاجِرِنَا أَنْ يَدْخُلَ دَارَهُمْ بِأَمَانٍ وَمَعَهُ سِلَاحٌ لَا يُرِيدُ بَيْعَهُ مِنْهُمْ إذَا عَلِمَ أَنَّهُمْ لَا يَتَعَرَّضُونَ لَهُ وَإِلَّا فَيُمْنَعُ عَنْهُ كَمَا فِي الْمُحِيطِ قُهُسْتَانِيٌّ، وَفِي كَافِي الْحَاكِمِ لَوْ جَاءَ الْحَرْبِيُّ بِسَيْفٍ فَاشْتَرَى مَكَانَهُ قَوْسًا أَوْ رُمْحًا أَوْ فَرَسًا لَمْ يُتْرَكْ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ، وَكَذَا لَوْ اسْتَبْدَلَ بِسَيْفِهِ سَيْفًا خَيْرًا مِنْهُ، فَإِنْ كَانَ مِثْلَهُ أَوْ دُونَهُ لَمْ يُمْنَعْ، وَالْمُسْتَأْمَنُ كَالْمُسْلِمِ فِي ذَلِكَ إلَّا إذَا خَرَجَ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَلَا يُمْنَعُ مِنْ الرُّجُوعِ بِهِ. اهـ. نَهْرٌ (قَوْلُهُ وَلَوْ بَعْدَ صُلْحٍ) تَعْمِيمٌ لِلْبَيْعِ وَالْحَمْلِ قَالَ فِي الْبَحْرِ؛ لِأَنَّ الصُّلْحَ عَلَى شَرَفِ الِانْقِضَاءِ أَوْ النَّقْضِ (قَوْلُهُ فَجَازَ اسْتِحْسَانًا) أَيْ اتِّبَاعًا لِلنَّصِّ، لَكِنْ لَا يَخْفَى أَنَّ هَذَا إذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ بِالْمُسْلِمِينَ حَاجَةٌ إلَى الطَّعَامِ فَلَوْ احْتَاجُوهُ لَمْ يَجُزْ

Radd Al-Muhtaar (Halabi ed., Daar Al-Fikr, https://shamela.ws) v.4 p.134