Is It Halal to Take Financial Support from the Government?


Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel

Question

1. If you are a weak person with learning disabilities and health issues and you’re struggling to make living, so you sign up for financial help from the government. They said to get financial help; however, you have to abide by conditions and rules, but unfortunately, you don’t abide or follow all the conditions or rules because you are weak and unwell. Would the financial help still be halal for this person?

2. If your income isn’t halal, would your worship and good deeds get accepted?

Thank you

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate

I pray you are well. Thank you for your question. May Allah (Most High) give you contentment (‘afiya) and full recovery, main.

Yes, it would be permissible for you to take financial support from the government if you are eligible. You will only be qualified if they find you to be one. So, rest assured, you are allowed to seek support, and your income is halal, no doubt. [Khadimi, al-Bariqa al-Mahmudiyya fi Sharh al-Tariqa al-Muhammadiyya; al-Fatawa al-Hindiyya]

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May Allah (Most High) give you ease and relief from the illness.

I pray this helps with your question.

Wassalam,

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

Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied within UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan and Turkey.

He started his early education in UK. He went onto complete hifz of Qur’an in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in UK where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then travelled to Karachi, Pakistan.

He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.

He currently resides in UK with his wife. His personal interest is love of books and gardening.