Is Zakaah paid from business earnings which are haraam
Question:
If the trading is in televisions and (satellite) dishes, how is the Zakaah in them?
Answer:
There’s no benefit in the dishes and televisions, there’s nothing in it except broadcasting what is harmful, there’s no benefit in it, so trading in satellite dishes is not allowed.
Likewise in televisions, due to what is in it of broadcasting that which causes distraction and doesn’t benefit, and any trading which is not legislated there’s no Zakaah in it, for it’s is prohibited and an unlawful earning, there’s no Zakaah in it, Zakaah is in wealth which is halaal.
The traders of Qaat, there’s no Zakaah upon them, they’re in content, because they’re trading in things which aren’t lawful, cigarettes and tobacco also, perhaps the traders of tobacco are rich because of this thing, wealth from it, and the traders of alcohol, and the traders of pig, and the likes of that.
Wealth is earned in abundancy from things which are prohibited, all wealth which is haraam there’s no Zakaah on it. Any wealth which is haraam there’s no Zakaah on it, Zakaah is purification,
(خُذْ مِنْ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ صَدَقَةً تُطَهِّرُهُمْ وَتُزَكِّيهِم بِهَا)
“Take Sadaqah (alms) from their wealth in order to purify them and sanctify them with it.” [At-Taubah: 103]
And wealth which is haraam doesn’t purify nor is there any benefit in it for the one giving Zakaah from it. And Zakaah is barakah, due to what has come from the Prophet ﷺ that he said:
مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ يُصْبِحُ الْعِبَادُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ مَلَكَانِ يَنْزِلاَنِ فَيَقُولُ أَحَدُهُمَا اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُنْفِقًا خَلَفًا، وَيَقُولُ الآخَرُ اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُمْسِكًا تَلَفًا
“Every day two angels descend and one of them says, ‘O Allaah! Compensate the one who spends,’ and the other says, ‘O Allaah! Destroy the one who withholds.”
So it is increase and barakah, and that which is haraam doesn’t increase,
(قُل لَّا يَسْتَوِى ٱلْخَبِيثُ وَٱلطَّيِّبُ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ كَثْرَةُ ٱلْخَبِيثِۚ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ يَٰٓأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ)
Say: “Not equal are Al-Khabith (all that is evil and bad as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.) and At-Taiyib (all that is good as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.), even though the abundance of Al-Khabith (evil) may please you.” So fear Allah much [(abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], O men of understanding in order that you may be successful.” [Al-Ma’idah: 100]
There’s no barakah in Al-Khabeeth, the haraam,
لا يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ لَحْمٌ نبَتَ منَ السُّحْتِ وكلُّ لحمٍ نبَتَ منَ السُّحْتِ كَانَتِ النَّارُ أَوْلَى بِهِ
“No flesh which is grown from the unlawful will enter Jannah, and every flesh grown from the unlawful then the fire has more precedence to it.”
And likewise,
الْبَيِّعَانِ بِالْخِيَارِ مَا لَمْ يَتَفَرَّقَا ـ أَوْ قَالَ حَتَّى يَتَفَرَّقَا ـ فَإِنْ صَدَقَا وَبَيَّنَا بُورِكَ لَهُمَا فِي بَيْعِهِمَا، وَإِنْ كَتَمَا وَكَذَبَا مُحِقَتْ بَرَكَةُ بَيْعِهِمَا
“The seller and the buyer have the choice (to keep or return goods) as long as they have not parted; and if both the parties spoke the truth and clarified (the defects and qualities of the goods), then they would be blessed in their transaction, and if they lied or hid something, then the blessings of their transaction would be void.”
The wealth is haraam, void (from blessing)
(إن الله طيب لا يقبل إلا طيبًا)
“Allah is Good and He only accepts that which is good.”
يديه إلى السماء : يا رب يارب، ومطعمه حرام، ومشربه حرام، وملبسه حرام، وغذي بالحرام فأنى يستجاب لذلك!؟
“He extends his hand to the sky: ‘Yaa Rubb! Yaa Rubb!’ While his food is unlawful, his drink is unlawful, his clothes are unlawful and he’s nourished in the unlawful, so how can it e accepted!?”
So Zakaah is a blessing, verily this blessing is by a blessing I mean from halaal, and he benefits from the halaal, and he’s blessed in the halaal and he’s increased in halaal, as for haraam there’s no barakah and no Zakaah in it.
Answered by: Shaykh, the Allamah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu Abdirrahman Yahya bin Ali Al-Hajuri – may Allah preserve him
Source: https://t.me/sh_yahia_duroos/9887
Translated by: Abū ‘Abdillāh ‘Omar bin Yahya Al-‘Akawi