Accepting Government Money in Celebration of the New Year
Question:
The Government in Russia gives money to its families (for) their children for free in celebration of The New Year and they send the money automatically to the (bank) card of the childs father. Is it permissible for the father to spend this money on his child, knowing that Russia has given this money to the child as a gift for this harām celebration?
Answer:
Whatever is from the celebrations of the disbelievers that contains the call to worship other than Allāh and to the open manifestation of idolatory; then it is not permissible to cooperate with them and it is not permissible to accept their gifts.
So it is not permissible to make (personal) use of this money, this money can only be spent in the public interests of the Muslims in fixing the wudhu (ablution) area in a masjid and the likes of this.
It cannot be (spent) on what may be eaten, drank or what the childs father may make personal use of because it is harām money which is the result of an open display of idolatry and a celebration from the celebrations of jāhilya (pre-Islamic ignorance).
Answered by: Shaikh Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ba Jamaal (May Allah preserve him)
Source: https://t.me/bajmaal/6317?single
Translated by: Abū Sufyān Sāmi ibn Daniel Al-Ghāni