How Should One Dispose Mixed Acquired Money?

Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

I have a question regarding items (clothes etc.) bought with money that is not halal.
Back in the day, I bought a lot of stuff, and they could be divided into four groups:

• stuff from completely haram money (gambling etc.)
• stuff funded by student loans which are riba based.
• Stuff from my regular wages, but which I think is haram because I told the government that I don’t live with my parents (you get double when you live outside); at that time, I didn’t know it was haram, or least I didn’t give it a thought, because everybody does it.
• Stuff from mixed money.

What should I do? Should I throw everything out? Give sadaqa or make tawbah and keep them?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

If one has acquired money through a mix of haram, halal and dubious means, they must free themselves of that money by giving it away. If one knows the actual amount of each of the three sources, then separate it accordingly by disposing of the haram and dubious and keeping halal.

If one finds this difficult to ascertain, then one can estimate the three sources and dispose of the haram and dubious and keep halal. One has to take note; it has to be given away with the intention of removing the haram and dubious from one’s ownership and not with the intention of charity. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

Also, one should repent (tawba), seek forgiveness and continue to do so, and be grateful to Allah Most High for guiding you to seek guidance.

Check the below-given links:
Bringing Barakah Into Your Wealth and Life – SeekersGuidance
A Reader on Tawba (Repentance) – SeekersGuidance

Keep seeking clarity and guidance; why not begin your search for knowledge by signing up for a course on Seekersguidance?
SeekersAcademy (seekersguidance.org)

[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani