help

nafeesa

Junior Member
Salaam Alaykum
a sister needs help and i thought to discuss her issue here for an advice, she told me that a family friend came down to their place and gave in some money to give to a poor muslim family so that they dont have any money problems during ramadhan (for IFTARI OR SUHOOR) she wants to know if she can except that money coz he owns a night club and is a non-muslim.
 

BintMuhammad

New Member
Staff member
Assalamu alaikum,

Insha Allaah this would help.

Accepting a gift from a kaafir on the day of his festival

Question:
My neighbour is an American Christian, and she and her family brought me a gift when it was Christmas. I could not refuse the gift, lest she be offended.
Can I accept this gift, as the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) accepted gifts from kaafirs?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

The basic principle is that it is permissible to accept gifts from kaafirs, so as to soften their hearts and make Islam attractive to them, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) accepted gifts from some of the kaafirs, such as the gift of al-Muqawqis etc.

Al-Bukhaari gave a chapter in his Saheeh the title of: Accepting gifts from the mushrikeen. He (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, narrating from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) migrated with Saarah and entered a city in which there was a king or a tyrant, and he said: ‘Give her Haajar (as a gift).’” And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was given as a gift a (roast) sheep in which there was poison. Abu Humayd said: The king of Aylah gave the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) a white mule and a cloak, and wrote to him. And he mentioned the story of the Jewish woman and her gift of a poisoned sheep to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Secondly:

It is permissible for a Muslim to give gifts to kaafirs and mushriks, with the aim of softening their hearts towards Islam, especially if they are relatives or neighbours.

‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) gave a hullah (suit) to his mushrik brother in Makkah, as was narrated by al-Bukhaari (2619).

But it is not permissible to give a kaafir a gift on the day of one of his festivals, because that is regarded as approving of or participating in celebration of the false festival.

If the gift is something that will help in celebrating the festival, such as food, candles and the like, then it is even more haraam, and some of the scholars are of the view that this is kufr.

Al-Zayla’i said in Tabyeen al-Haqaa’iq (6/228): Giving gifts on the occasion of Nayrooz and Mahrjaan [two non-Islamic Persian festivals] is not permissible, i.e., giving gifts on these two days is haraam, and is in fact kufr. Abu Hafs and Kabeer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: If a man were to worship Allaah for fifty years, then on the day of Nayrooz he were to give an egg as a gift to one of the mushrikeen, intending thereby to venerate that day, he would have committed kufr and his good deeds would be cancelled out. The author of al-Jaami’ al-Asghar said: If he gives a gift to another Muslim on the day of Nayrooz, not intending thereby to venerate that day, but it is the habit of some people to give gifts on that day, then this is not regarded as kufr. But he should not do it on that particular day; he should do it before or after, so that he will not be imitating those people. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” It says in al-Jaami’ al-Asghar: A man bought something on the day of Nayrooz which he did not buy before that. If he intended thereby to venerate that day as the mushrikoon venerate it, then he has committed kufr, but if he wanted to eat or drink or enjoy himself, then he has not committed kufr. End quote.

It says in al-Taaj wa’l-Ikleel (a Maaliki book – 4/319): Ibn al-Qaasim regarded it as makrooh to give a gift to a Christian on the occasion of his festival, or to give palm leaves to a Jew on his festivals. End quote.

It says in al-Iqnaa’, which is a Hanbali book: It is haraam to attend the festivals of the Jews and Christians and to sell them things or give them gifts on the occasion of their festivals.

Moreover it is not permissible for a Muslim to give a gift to another Muslim because of this festival, as stated above when quoting the Hanafi view. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Whoever gives a gift to the Muslims during these festivals unlike what he usually usually at other times, his gift should not be accepted, especially if the gift is something that helps in imitating them, such as giving candles etc at Christmas, or giving eggs, milk and lambs on Maundy Thursday which comes at the end of their fast (i.e., the end of Lent). Similarly, no gift should be given to a Muslim at the time of these festivals because of the festival, especially if it is something that helps in imitating them, as we have mentioned. End quote from Iqtida’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem (1/227).

Thirdly:

With regard to accepting a gift from a kaafir on the day of his festival, there is nothing wrong with that, and that is not regarded as participating in it or approving of it, rather it should be accepted as an act of kindness, with the aim of softening his heart and calling him to Islam. Allaah has permitted kindness and fair treatment towards the kaafir who is not fighting the Muslims, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of your homes. Verily, Allaah loves those who deal with equity”

[al-Mumtahanah 60:8]

But kindness and fair treatment does not mean friendship and love, because it is not permitted to take a kaafir as a friend or love him. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“You (O Muhammad) will not find any people who believe in Allaah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad), even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred (people). For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with Rooh (proofs, light and true guidance) from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to dwell therein (forever). Allaah is pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the party of Allaah. Verily, it is the party of Allaah that will be the successful”

[al-Mujaadilah 58:22]

“O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e. disbelievers and polytheists) as friends, showing affection towards them, while they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth”
[al-Mumtahanah 60:1]

“O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitaanah (advisors, consultants, protectors, helpers, friends) those outside your religion (pagans, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses) if you understand”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:118]

“And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you, and you have no protectors other than Allaah, nor you would then be helped”
[Hood 12:113]

“O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Awliyaa’ (friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Awliyaa’ of each other. And if any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa’), then surely, he is one of them. Verily, Allaah guides not those people who are the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust)”

[al-Maa’idah 5:51]

and there is other evidence which indicates that it is haraam to take a kaafir as a friend or love him.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: As for accepting a gift from them on the day of their festival, we have quoted above that ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib was brought a gift on the occasion of Nayrooz and he accepted it.

Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated that a woman asked ‘Aa’ishah: We have some wet nurses from among the Magians, and they have a festival on which they bring us gifts. She said: As for what is slaughtered for that day, do not eat it, but eat from their vegetables.

It was narrated from Abu Barzah that he had some Magian neighbours who used to bring him gifts on the occasion of Nayrooz and Mahrjaan, and he used to say to his family: Whatever is of fruits, eat it, and whatever is otherwise, reject it.

All of this indicates that the festival does not make it forbidden to accept their gifts, rather the ruling is the same whether it is their festival or not, because that does not involve helping them with the symbols of their kufr.

Then he pointed out that meat slaughtered by a kitaabi (Jew or Christian) is halaal except that which is slaughtered for their festivals, which it is not permissible to eat. He said (may Allaah have mercy on him): It is only permissible to eat of the food of the people of the Book, during their festivals that which has not been slaughtered for the festival, whether it is bought or received as a gift. As for meat slaughtered by the Magians, the ruling on that is well known, and it is haraam according to all. As for that which is slaughtered by the people of the Book for their festivals and that which they slaughter as an act of worship to draw close to anything other than Allaah, as the Muslims offer sacrifices as an act of worship to draw closer to Allaah, namely as that which they sacrifice to the Messiah, two views have been narrated from Ahmad concerning that, the most well known of which in his texts is that it is not permissible to eat it even if the name of something other than Allaah has not been mentioned over it. The prohibition on that was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah and ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar … End quote from Iqtida’ al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem (1/251).

Conclusion: It is permissible for you to accept the gift from your Christian neighbour on the day of their festival, subject to the following conditions:

1 – This gift should not be meat that has been slaughtered for the festival.

2 – It should not be something that may be used to help in imitating them on the day of their festival, such as candles, eggs, palm leaves etc.

3 – You should explain to your children the belief in al-wala’ wa’l-bara’ (loyalty and friendship vs. disavowal and enmity), lest a love of this festival or a fondness for the giver be instilled in their hearts.

4 – The gift should be accepted with the aim of softening her heart and calling her to Islam, not with friendship and love.

If the gift is something that it is not permissible to accept, then the refusal to accept it should be accompanied by an explanation of why it is being refused, such as saying, “We only refused your gift because it is meat that was slaughtered for the festival, and it is not permissible for us to eat it, or these things are only accepted by those who are taking part in the celebrations, and we do not celebrate this festival, because it is not part of our religion, and it involves beliefs that we do not believe in” and so on, which is a starting point for calling them to Islam and explaining the danger of the kufr that they follow.

The Muslim should be proud of his religion and apply its rulings, and he should not give them up out of shyness or to impress anyone, for Allaah is more deserving of us feeling shy before Him.

Please see also question no. 947 and 13642 for more information.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
 

BintMuhammad

New Member
Staff member
Accepting money from kaafirs

Question:
My wife who is a christian inherited some money. Iam a muslim.I would like to know if I'm allowed to take any of that money and spend it since Iam not the one who inherited it and since it's her money now and she is my wife .
Also if she leaves her assets for me in a will incase she passes away before me,would I be intitled to her assets ?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

1 – There is no reason why you should not take from the money that your wife has inherited, on condition that that should be with her consent.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it, and enjoy it without fear of any harm (as Allaah has made it lawful).”

[al-Nisa’ 4:4]

Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The phrase “but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it, and enjoy it without fear of any harm” is addressed to husbands, and indicates that it is permissible for a woman to give her mahr as a gift to her husband, whether she was a virgin or previously married. This is the opinion of the majority of fuqaha’… The scholars are agreed that if a woman who is in control of her own affairs gives her mahr to her husband, that is a valid transaction and she cannot take it back.

Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 5/24, 25

In general, if a kaafir gives something to a Muslim “of his own good pleasure”, there is nothing wrong with accepting it.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) ate with the Jews. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2424; Muslim, 4060)

The king of Aylah – a land on the seacoast – who was a kaafir, gave him a gift of a white mule and a cloak. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1411; Muslim, 1392).

The Negus paid the mahr of Umm Habeebah on his behalf, and he was a kaafir.

It was narrated from Umm Habeebah that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) proposed marriage to her when she was in the land of Ethiopia. The Negus married her to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), giving her on his behalf her a mahr of four thousand dirhams, and prepared her trousseau, and he sent her (to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) with Shurahbeel ibn Hasanah. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not send anything to her. The mahr of his wives was four hundred dirhams.

(Narrated by al-Nasaa’i, 3350; Abu Dawood, 2086; al-Haakim, 2/181. al-Haakim classed it as saheeh and al-Dhahabi agreed with him).

And there are many other similar incidents.

2 – If she wills her possessions to you, and she was following her own religion before she died, it is also permissible for you to take these possessions, because a will is different from inheritance. But if she did not make a will and died, then it is not permissible for you to inherit anything from her. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Muslim does not inherit from a kaafir and the kaafir does not inherit from a Muslim.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6383; Muslim, 1614).

Imam Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

It is proven from the narrations of the trustworthy imaams that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “The Muslim does not inherit from the kaafir.” So everyone who goes against that, this hadeeth is evidence against him. This is the view of all the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and fuqaha’ of various regions such as Maalik, al-Layth, al-Thawri, al-Awzaa’i, Abu Haneefah, al-Shaafa’i and all the scholars of hadeeth who spoke on matters of fiqh, that a Muslim should not inherit from a kaafir and a kaafir should not inherit from a Muslim, following this hadeeth. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Al-Tamheed, 9/164

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
 

nafeesa

Junior Member
salaam alaykum
Jazak Allah , but my concern was where is that money coming from ? wether halal or haram ?
 
If he is a non-muslim then incoming sources doesn´t play any rolll. hope some any brother or sister can say something about this topic.may be i will also get something to learn
 

BintMuhammad

New Member
Staff member
salaam alaykum
Jazak Allah , but my concern was where is that money coming from ? wether halal or haram ?

:salam2:

They are kafirs in the first place, so it is expected that their means of generating income involves haraam things. What's not acceptable is a gift or money given to us by fellow Muslims who got it from something haraam.



Accepting gifts and donations from haraam wealth

Question:
Some Muslims here in Britain accumulate their wealth from both halaal and haraam sources, because they are businessmen and some of the things in which they deal are alcohol and pork. They vary in the extent to which they do that. In some cases most of the person’s wealth comes from haraam sources, and in others only a little of their earnings is haraam. Is it permissible for us Muslims to mix with them and eat their food if they invite us? Is it permissible for us to accept their donations from this wealth for the mosque?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: You have to advise them and warn them of the evil consequences of dealing in haraam things and acquiring wealth from haraam sources. You should cooperate with your brothers among the righteous to remind them and warn them of the wrath of Allaah and the severity of His punishment of those who disobey Him and wage war against Him by committing haraam actions. You should teach them that the pleasures of this world are few, and that the Hereafter is better and more lasting. If they respond, then praise be to Allaah. In that case they are your brothers in Islam. Then you should advise them to return that which they took wrongfully to its rightful owners, if they know who they are, and to follow their bad deeds with good deeds, so that Allaah will accept their repentance and turn their bad deeds into good deeds. Then it will be permissible for you to mix with them as your brothers in faith, and to eat their food and accept their donations for building and furnishing the mosque etc., because by repenting and returning to people what is rightfully theirs as much as possible, their previous sins will be forgiven, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops eating Ribaa, shall not be punished for the past; his case is for Allaah (to judge)”

[al-Baqarah 2:275].

Secondly:

If they still refuse to heed advice and reminders, and they persist in doing haraam things, then you have to forsake them for the sake of Allaah, and not respond to their invitations or accept their donations, as a rebuke to them and, in the hope that this will deter them from committing evil actions.

And Allaah is the Source of strength.



Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 16/182-183.
 

Ali(Whalan)

Junior Member
Thank you very much,sis(hurul-ein) you always seem to come to the rescue.. May Allah bless you & reward you for all your efforts...AMEEN
 
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