Fatwa ID: 08839

 

Answered by: Maulana Yusuf Badshah

 

Question:

 

If a person dies after doing fraud with the government in order to receive grants benefits is their soul suspended because it is a debt on their name or are they regarded as a thief?

 

Can a person donate to the government as a voluntary donation rather than to wherever the funds came from because it is easier?

 

 

 

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

 

Answer:

 

Fraud is indeed impermissible in Islam [1]. The hadith regarding the soul of the debtor being suspended does not explicitly mention the one who acquired the wealth of another illegitimately with no intention of returning it, but given that the crime of fraud is far worse than leaving behind an unpaid debt, it is possible the soul of the fraudster would similarly be suspended [2]. Depending on how they defrauded the government they would most likely be considered as a liar and a deceiver rather than a thief given that the government handed over the money willingly, albeit ignorantly.

 

The best course of action would be to directly return the misappropriated funds to the department from which it was impermissibly acquired, but if this is not possible or should doing so place you or your family at risk of repercussions then it will be sufficient to donate it to the government [3].

 

 

 

References:

 

[1] Surah Al-Isra’ 34:

{ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ مَالَ ٱلْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ ۚ وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِٱلْعَهْدِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْـُٔولًۭا ۞}

 

Raddul Muhtar, vol. 3, pg. 705, Darul Fikr:

(قَوْلُهُ وَهِيَ كَبِيرَةٌ مُطْلَقًا) أَيْ اقْتَطَعَ بِهَا حَقَّ مُسْلِمٍ أَوْ لَا، وَهَذَا رَدٌّ عَلَى قَوْلِ الْبَحْرِ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ تَكُونَ كَبِيرَةً إذَا اقْتَطَعَ بِهَا مَالَ مُسْلِمٍ أَوْ آذَاهُ، وَصَغِيرَةً إنْ لَمْ يَتَرَتَّبْ عَلَيْهَا مَفْسَدَةٌ، فَقَدْ نَازَعَهُ فِي النَّهْرِ بِأَنَّهُ مُخَالِفٌ لِإِطْلَاقِ حَدِيثِ الْبُخَارِيِّ «الْكَبَائِرُ الْإِشْرَاكُ بِاَللَّهِ، وَعُقُوقُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ، وَقَتْلُ النَّفْسِ، وَالْيَمِينُ الْغَمُوسُ»

 

[2] Jami’ At-Tirmidhi 1078:

حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “‏ نَفْسُ الْمُؤْمِنِ مُعَلَّقَةٌ بِدَيْنِهِ حَتَّى يُقْضَى عَنْهُ ‏”

 

[3] Raddul Muhtar, vol. 4, pg. 167, Darul Fikr:

(وَيُفْتَى الْمُسْلِمُ بِرَدِّ الْمَغْصُوبِ) زَيْلَعِيٌّ، زَادَ الْكَمَالُ (وَ) بِرَدِّ (الدَّيْنِ) أَيْضًا (دِيَانَةً) لَا قَضَاءً لِأَنَّهُ غَدْرٌ

 

 

 

 

Only Allah s.w.t knows best

Written by Maulana Yusuf Badshah

Checked and approved by Mufti Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham