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Lying to the government in order to receive assistance

03-04-2000

Question 7959

THERE ARE PEOPLE I KNOW WHO WORK IN ENGLAND IN A RESTAURANT AND ARE PAYED VERY WELL, BUT WHAT THEY DO IS THEY TELL THE AUTHORITY THAT THEY ARE PAYED LESS SO THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE EXTRA MONEY. THE GOVERNMENT HELPS THOSE WHO ARE ON LOW INCOME. IS THIS HALAL FOR THEM TO LIE AND GET THIS EXTRA MONEY? WHEN ASKED THEY REPLY THAT THE TAX IS QUITE HIGH IN THIS COUNTRY. BUT DOES IT MEAN YOU CAN LIE AND GET EXTRA? PLEASE EXPLAIN.IF IT IS WRONG THEN THE MONEY IS HARAM? THE DUA IS NOT ACCEPTED? HAJ IS NOT ACCEPTED? PLEASE CAN YOU EXPLAIN. THANKYOU.

Answer

Praise be to Allah.

It is not permissible to tell lies; doing so is haraam. Money which he has taken on this basis is also haraam and he has no right to it. With regard to his du’aa’, the fact that he is consuming haraam wealth may be a reason why his du’aa’ is not being accepted, because of the hadeeth, “Then he mentioned a man who had been travelling for a long time and was dishevelled and dusty; he stretches out his hands towards the heavens and says, ‘O Lord, O Lord’, but his food is haraam, his drink is haraam, his clothing is haraam. He is nourished by haraam, so how can his du’aa’ be accepted?” (Narrated by Muslim, 1015).

With regard to his Hajj, the poet said:

“If you go for Hajj with money whose origin is haraam,

You will not have made Hajj, but the camels will have.”

And Allaah knows best.

Forbidden Kinds of Wealth
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