Avoiding financial dealing with someone whose earnings are forbidden

20-2-2006 | IslamWeb

Question:

In your Fatwa 85295 "It is safer to avoid financial dealing with one whose wealth is a mixture of Halaal and Haraam" you advised the sister to avoid tutoring the banker. My question relates to Fatwa 90517 "Interest free mortgages through an English bank", where you quoted a Hadeeth related to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and his companions dealing with the Jews whom dealt in Ribaa and several other usurious transactions? Please explain the difference.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

There is no contradiction between the two Fataawa. The first Fatwa advises a person to be Allaah-fearing when in doubt, and that it is better, for the sake of his religion, to stay away from doubtful transactions, in order to be on the safe side. Indeed, Hassaan Ibn Abu Sufyaan may Allaah have mercy upon him said: 'There is nothing easier than being pious, if you are in doubt about anything, just avoid it.'

The second Fatwa clarified that it is permissible to deal with a person who has forbidden earnings. There is no contradiction between something being permissible and the fact that avoiding it is better. The scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them mentioned that it is among piety for a person to avoid some permissible matters out of fear to fall into doubtful things. Al-Kharashi may Allaah have mercy upon him defined the most pious person, saying: 'It is the person who avoids some permissible things out of fear of committing doubtful things, and the pious person is he who avoids doubtful things out of fear of committing forbidden things.' 

Allaah Knows best.

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