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Can an unmarried woman use welfare provisions obtained through deceptive means by her parents?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Muftisays.com
Assalamu’alaikum brother,

I am a female, unmarried student in the UK and am 20 years old.

My question is regarding income. My father works full-time but does not tell the government about this, in order to receive certain state welfare. This is obviously wrong and haram. My mother knows about this and is fine with it. I’ve tried to talk to them about moving away from such things, but to no avail.

However, though they receive some welfare through their deception, they also receive some welfare that they are genuinely eligible for, regardless of work (though they still lie about their income on this form too).
So my parents’ income comprises of my father’s wages (halal) plus the benefits they can genuinely receive (though still lied for but do truly meet the criteria for it); and also of the welfare received through utter deception and which they do not qualify for at all in actual fact. So it is about half haram, half halal, give or take.

My question is: is it permissible for me, a young and unmarried woman, to eat from the food and use the provisions that my parents provide through these funds, as I must live with my parents? I don’t know if I have to support myself in this case. I do receive student finance, a non-repayable interest free grant, and also work part-time. I cannot move out of home until I am married and don’t know how I can constantly refuse to eat what my parents provide or not use the provisions in the home funded by this wealth, ie. gas/electricity.

I look forward to your response brother and will be truly grateful for it. You will be in my duahs. Jazak’Allahu khairun immensely for your time and efforts.

Wasalam.


Answer

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Respected questioner,

It is better not to partake from such wealth, you should encourage your father to separate the halal income and use that on expenses. [1]

[1]
It states in Fatawa Al Hindiyyah:

أَهْدَى إلَى رَجُلٍ شَيْئًا أَوْ أَضَافَهُ إنْ كَانَ غَالِبُ مَالِهِ مِنْ الْحَلَالِ فَلَا بَأْسَ إلَّا أَنْ يَعْلَمَ بِأَنَّهُ حَرَامٌ، فَإِنْ كَانَ الْغَالِبُ هُوَ الْحَرَامَ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ لَا يَقْبَلَ الْهَدِيَّةَ، وَلَا يَأْكُلَ الطَّعَامَ إلَّا أَنْ يُخْبِرَهُ بِأَنَّهُ حَلَالٌ وَرِثْتُهُ أَوْ اسْتَقْرَضْتُهُ مِنْ رَجُلٍ، كَذَا فِي الْيَنَابِيعِ.

وَلَا يَجُوزُ قَبُولُ هَدِيَّةِ أُمَرَاءِ الْجَوْرِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْغَالِبَ فِي مَالِهِمْ الْحُرْمَةُ إلَّا إذَا عَلِمَ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَ مَالِهِ حَلَالٌ بِأَنْ كَانَ صَاحِبَ تِجَارَةٍ أَوْ زَرْعٍ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِهِ؛ لِأَنَّ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ لَا تَخْلُو عَنْ قَلِيلٍ حَرَامٍ فَالْمُعْتَبَرُ الْغَالِبُ، وَكَذَا أَكْلُ طَعَامِهِمْ، كَذَا فِي الِاخْتِيَارِ شَرْحِ الْمُخْتَارِ.

آكِلُ الرَّبَّا وَكَاسِبُ الْحَرَامِ أَهْدَى إلَيْهِ أَوْ أَضَافَهُ وَغَالِبُ مَالِهِ حَرَامٌ لَا يَقْبَلُ، وَلَا يَأْكُلُ مَا لَمْ يُخْبِرْهُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ الْمَالَ أَصْلُهُ حَلَالٌ وَرِثَهُ أَوْ اسْتَقْرَضَهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ غَالِبُ مَالِهِ حَلَالًا لَا بَأْسَ بِقَبُولِ هَدِيَّتِهِ وَالْأَكْلِ مِنْهَا، كَذَا فِي الْمُلْتَقَطِ.

(الفتاوي الهندية، كتاب الكراهية، الْبَابُ الثَّانِي عَشَرَ فِي الْهَدَايَا وَالضِّيَافَاتِ، الجزء ٥، الصفحة ٤٢١)

And Allah knows best

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Please remember me in your dua’s
Maulana Khalil Ibn Ilyas Laher
London, UK

This answer was collected from MuftiSays.com, based in London (UK). It is one of the fruits of Darul Uloom London. Many ‘ulama are involved in answering the Q&A on the site, including: Shaikul Hadeeth Mufti Umar Farooq Sahib, Mufti Saifur Rahman Sahib, Mufti Abdullah Patel Sahib, Maulana Qamruz Zaman Sahib, Mufti Abu Bakr Karolia Sahib.

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