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Haram income that was earned with ignorance
Question :
A sister is asking about the salary she earned which she was working for a people (who were Muslims) who served pork. And the sister mentioned that after realizing this matter, she immediately left the occupation. Now she wants to know what she must do with what is left from her salary.
Answer :
The question was posed to the Allamah Ibn Baaz rahimahullah ta ‘ala, as it is found in his Majmoo’ Al Fataawa, the 19th volume : where the question mentions that if a person gathers money from an occupation or an earning which is haram, then he repents to Allah azza wa jall and he realizes that it is haram then what should he do with the money he has gathered from these earnings which are haram?
So Ibnu Baaz rahimahullah ta ‘ala rahmatan waasi’ah, he said,”if what had occurred from him, meaning the gathering of this money, was from ignorance on his part, for him is that which has passed. Meaning the money he had earned from that which has passed, then he can use it. And his affair is in the Hands of Allah. And he mentioned as a proof for this, the statement of Allah azza wa jal :
سورة 2, الآية 275:
الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبَا لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا الْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبَا وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا فَمَن جَاءَهُ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِ فَانتَهَىٰ فَلَهُ مَا سَلَفَ وَأَمْرُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
Those who eat Riba (usury) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitan (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: “Trading is only like Riba (usury),” whereas Allah has permitted trading and forbidden Riba (usury). So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops eating Riba (usury) shall not be punished for the past; his case is for Allah (to judge); but whoever returns [to Riba (usury)], such are the dwellers of the Fire – they will abide therein.
Then he went on to say,”So if this person is ignorant, for him is for that which has already passed. Meaning, from the earnings which he has earned. He said,”However, if this person knows this affair, meaning the prohibition of this matter in which he’s involved in, and he takes it lightly, then he should give in charity the money which he has earned from the haram. If half, or a third or a fourth of his earnings are from haram, then let him give it to the poor people and the impoverished and the needy.
He said,” as for the one who does not know, then he realized what was right and repented to Allah. Then for him is what has already passed from his earnings.
And the summary of the speech of the Allamah Ibnu Baaz Rahmatullah alayhi, is that if a person does not know that the earnings which he is earning is haram, and he realized that these earnings are haram and he repents to Allah, then for him is what has already passed from his earnings. Meaning, that he’s allowed to retain them, being that he did not know the ruling of it. However, if he’s knowledgeable of this, of what he’s doing? If he knows what he’s doing is haram, but he takes it lightly, then what is upon him to do is to give this money in charity. Whether this is half of his money, or more or less.
We ask Allah azza wa jal to grant us beneficial knowledge and aide us in implementing it.
Al Hamdulillaah Rabbil Aalameen.
Answered by : Abu Atiyyah Mahmood As Somalee ???
Transcribed by : Abu Muwahhid Asadullah At Tarinidadi
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