My parents have asked me to do something to help them avoid paying a big tax on something they have bought. There is a higher tax on cars in my country than its neighbor, where they live. They have bought a car in their country and want to register it in my name there. However, they want me to tell the authorities in my country that I am moving permanently to their country and will be taking my car with me. The car would then be registered in my name in their country. In six months time they would register the car in their names and my involvement would be finished and they would have avoided paying something like $6000. I of course will not be moving to their country and therein lays the problem.
Answer:
Walaikum assalam,
The position I have 100% conviction in is that it is not permitted to lie or deceive to avoid taxes, as major contemporary scholars have answered. At the same time, it is permitted to take all lawful means to reduce or even avoid taxes.
This would correspond to the fact that two things not allowed for Muslim in their dealing, even with non-Muslims, are lying and deception. This involves both.
This is why the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is reported to have said, “The Muslim may have any trait except lying and deception.” [Ahmad, Bazzar and Abu Ya`la, and others with similar wordings]
The greater impact on the Muslim community of Muslims doing this sort of thing is very negative.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani
قال الإمام الشافعي (رضي الله تعالى عنه) في الأُمّ: 4/263الْمُسْتَأْمَنُ فِي دَارِ الْحَرْبِ . ( قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ ) : رحمه الله تعالى إذَا دَخَلَ قَوْمٌ مِنْ الْمُسْلِمِينَ بِلَادَالْحَرْبِ بِأَمَانٍ فَالْعَدُوُّ مِنْهُمْ آمِنُونَ إلَى أَنْ يُفَارِقُوهُمْ أَوْ يَبْلُغُوا مُدَّةَ أَمَانِهِمْ وَلَيْسَ لَهُمْظُلْمُهُمْ وَلَا خِيَانَتُهُمْقال الإمام محمد بن الحسن (رضي الله تعالى عنه) في السِّيَر الكبير:– وَإِذَا دَخَلَ الْمُسْلِمُ دَارَ الْحَرْبِ بِأَمَانٍ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِأَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْهُمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْبِطِيبِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ بِأَيِّ وَجْهٍ كَانَقال الإمام الشرخسي في شرح السِّيَر الكبير: 4/1410لِأَنَّ أَمْوَالَهُمْ لَا تَصِيرُ مَعْصُومَةً بِدُخُولِهِ إلَيْهِمْ بِأَمَانٍ , وَلَكِنَّهُ ضَمِنَ بِعَقْدِالْأَمَانِ أَلَّا يَخُونَهُمْ , فَعَلَيْهِ التَّحَرُّزُ عَنْ الْخِيَانَةِ , وَبِأَيِّ سَبَبٍ طَيَّبَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ حِينَأَخَذَ الْمَالَ , فَإِنَّمَا أَخَذَ الْمُبَاحَ عَلَى وَجْهٍ مَنَعَهُ عَنْ الْغَدْرِ , فَيَكُونُ ذَلِكَ طَيِّبًا لَهُقال الإمام موفق الدين ابن قُدامة (رحمه الله تعالى) في المغني: 9/237( 7587 ) مَسْأَلَةٌ ; قَالَ : مَنْ دَخَلَ إلَى أَرْضِ الْعَدُوِّ بِأَمَانٍ , لَمْ يَخُنْهُمْ فِي مَالِهِمْ , وَلَمْيُعَامِلْهُمْ بِالرِّبَا أَمَّا تَحْرِيمُ الرِّبَا فِي دَارِ الْحَرْبِ , فَقَدْ ذَكَرْنَاهُ فِي الرِّبَا , مَعَ أَنَّ قَوْلَاللَّهِ تَعَالَى : { وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا } …. وَأَمَّا خِيَانَتُهُمْ , فَمُحَرَّمَةٌ ; لِأَنَّهُمْ إنَّمَا أَعْطَوْهُالْأَمَانَ مَشْرُوطًا بِتَرْكِهِ خِيَانَتَهُمْ , وَأَمْنِهِ إيَّاهُمْ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ , وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ مَذْكُورًافِي اللَّفْظِ , فَهُوَ مَعْلُومٌ فِي الْمَعْنَى , وَلِذَلِكَ مَنْ جَاءَنَا مِنْهُمْ بِأَمَانٍ , فَخَانَنَا , كَانَنَاقِضًا لِعَهْدِهِ . فَإِذَا ثَبَتَ هَذَا , لَمْ تَحِلَّ لَهُ خِيَانَتُهُمْ , لِأَنَّهُ غَدْرٌ , وَلَا يَصْلُحُ فِي دِينِنَاالْغَدْرُ , وَقَدْ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ { صلى الله عليه وسلم : الْمُسْلِمُونَ عِنْدَ شُرُوطِهِمْ } . فَإِنْخَانَهُمْ , أَوْ سَرَقَ مِنْهُمْ , أَوْ اقْتَرَضَ شَيْئًا وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ رَدُّ مَا أَخَذَ إلَى أَرْبَابِهِ , فَإِنْجَاءَ أَرْبَابُهُ إلَى دَارِ الْإِسْلَامِ بِأَمَانٍ أَوْ إيمَانٍ , رَدَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ , وَإِلَّا بَعَثَ بِهِ إلَيْهِمْ ; لِأَنَّهُأَخَذَهُ عَلَى وَجْهٍ حَرَّمَ عَلَيْهِ أَخْذُهُ , فَلَزِمَهُ رَدَّ مَا أَخَذَ , كَمَا لَوْ أَخَذَهُ مِنْ مَالِ مُسْلِمٍ .
