Answered by Shaykh Amjad Rasheed
Translated by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
I was hoping for further clarification and some detail on the issue of eating from unlawful wealth and acceptance of prayers. Is there a hadith that stipulates that a person who eats from unlawful wealth, his/her prayer is not accepted for 40 days? What if they repent?
Tabarani related from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, “O Sa`d, purify your food, and your prayers will be answered. By the One in whose hand is Muhammad’s soul, when a servant swallows a morsel of unlawful food into his stomach, not one deed is accepted from him for forty days. And any servant whose flesh is nourished on the unlawful, the Fire has a better right to him.”
Bazzar related, “One who has no trust has no religion, nor any prayer or zakat. He who acquires unlawful wealth and then dons a garment, his prayer is not accepted until he takes off that garment. Verily, Allah is nobler and more magnificent than to accept the works of a man or to accept his prayer while he is wearing an unlawful garment.” However, this hadith comprises matters that make it unacceptable [according to hadith scholars] as Ibn Hajar mentioned in his book, al-Zawajir.
Imam Ahmad related from Ibn Umar, may Allah be well pleased with him and his father, “Whoever purchases a garment for ten dirhams, of which one dirham is unlawful, Allah will not accept his prayer as long as he is wearing it.”
This threat is understood as applying to those who perform acts of obedience while eating from the unlawful without having legally repented. As for one who has repented, feels remorse over his unlawful deed, ceases it at once, is determined never to return to it, and gives the people he wronged back their rights, then Allah will forgive him. Then, at that time, Allah willing, he will not miss out on the reward for his good deeds. Rather, it is hoped for him out of Allah’s good bounty, and if his repentance is sincere, that Allah will turn his bad deeds into good deeds. This is because He said, Glorified is He, “except for he who repents, believes, and does righteous deeds, for those are the ones whose bad deeds Allah will changes into good deeds.” (Furqan:70)
وروى أحمد عن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما قال:” مَن اشترى ثوبا بعشرة دراهم، وفيه درهمٌ من حرام لم يقبل الله عز وجلَّ له صلاةً ما دام عليه “.
وهذا الوعيدُ المذكور محمولٌ على مَن كان يفعل الطاعات وهو متلبس ٌ بأكل الحرام من غير أن تحصلَ له التوبة الشرعية، أما مَن تاب بأن ندم على فعل الحرام، وأقلع عنه، وعزم على عدم العود إليه، وردَّ الحقوق إلى أصحابها، فيتوب الله تعالى عليه، وحينئذٍ لا يفوته ثوابُ العمل الصالح إن شاء الله تعالى، بل يُرتجى له بفضل الله إن صدقت توبته أن يبدل الله سيئاته حسنات كما قال سبحانه: ( إلا مَن تاب وآمن وعمل عملاً صالحاً فأولئك يبدل الله سيئاتهم حسنات (.