Can I Receive a Gift from a Disbeliever Trading in Alcohol?
Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi
Question
My non-Muslim brother, whose income is from selling alcohol, gifted me a calculator purchased through my school’s system. I am unsure whether I can use it, as I fear it may be haram. Should I dispose of it or is it permissible to keep and use it?
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful
Yes, it is permissible to receive gifts from non-muslims.
Please see: Can I Receive Donations From Non-Muslims?
Non-muslims are allowed to trade in alcohol even if they were living in Muslim lands. [Quduri, Mukhtassar]
Sayyiduna Umar Ibn Al-Khatab, may Allah be pleased with him, told the tax collectors about disbelievers trading in pork and wine: “Allow them to trade in those goods and take 10% of the selling price.” [Abd Al-Razak, Mussanaf]
And Allah knows best
[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching for ways to learn Islam reliably and was disappointed at the answers he found locally.
Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.
He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others.
He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.
