Fatwa ID: 05367

 

Answered by: Mufti Eunus Ali

 

Question

I have a question regarding the business from funding that is mixed from permissible and prohibited sources.

 

I have several scenarios:

 

– The first scenario is if I have a bike, which I got from someone who stole it. I know this is wrong, but let’s say I still used the bike for work. Does this make my salary prohibited for me to use?

 

– Let’s say I have a business like a minimarket but the source of funding is from a conventional “riba/usurious” based bank. Are my income from the minimarket became haraam?

 

– The third one is if I have already bought several vehicles using ill-gotten cash before I know it is haraam for my company, should I throw them away or can I still use it for my business?

 

What I’m trying to ask is basically, according to Islam, just because we got something from a prohibited source does that makes the income derived from it also became prohibited? Please give me daleel for this.

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

 

Answer

 

In the above-mentioned scenarios, the person will need to do 2 things:

 

• To give in charity the amount of ‘haram money (whether it is from interest or stolen etc.) that had been used to begin the business and have no expectation of reward from it. Stolen items need to be returned where possible.

 

For example: If the business was purchased for £50,000 ‘haram money,’ that amount should be given to charity. [1]

 

In Sha Allah, the income which is generated from the business will be Halal provided the business itself is Halal. [2]

 

• To make Tawbah (repentance).

 

As Muslims, we should take the intuitive of attaining the pleasure of Allah after committing any sin by repenting and seeking forgiveness.

 

Allah has stated:

• Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (Surah Zumar Verse 53)

 

(b)  O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. (Surah Tahreem Verse 8)

 

(c)  The Prophet peace be upon Him has stated: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a servant as he turns towards Him for repentance than this that one amongst you is upon the camel in a waterless desert and there is upon (that camel) his provision of food and drink also and it is lost by him, and he had lost all hope (to get that) lies down in the shadow and is disappointed about his camel and there he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of his nose string and then out of boundless joy says: 0 Lord, Thou art my servant and I am Thine Lord. He commits this mistake out of extreme delight. (Saheeh Muslim)

 

The scholars have stated there are 3 conditions for tawbah to be accepted.

 

• The abandonment of sin.
• Expressing remorse over having committed the sin.
• Making a firm intention of not repeating the sin again.

 

If anyone one of these three conditions is not fulfilled then the tawbah will not be correct. (RiyadhusSaliheen, Page 24-25. Darus Salaam)

 

In Sha Allah by fulfilling these conditions one can attain Allah’s forgiveness and attain his pleasure.

 

 

Only Allah knows best

Written by Mufti Eunus Ali

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

[1] Raddul Muhtar, Volume 9, Page 553. Darul Kutubul Ilmiyyah

 

[2] Usool As Shaashi, Page 124. Maktabatul Bushra & Nujumul Hawashi, Page 276, Al misbah