Can the food offered by a person who earns his living through haram ways be eaten?

- Is it permissible to eat at the table of a person who has deposited his money in the bank to get interest?
- Will you give information about whether accepting the invitation of a dinner by a person who earns his living through haram ways or not?

Dear Brother / Sister,

If it is not definitely known whether a person’s earnings are unlawful, or if there is a lawful portion within those earnings, it is permissible to eat from such a person’s hospitality. Moreover, since a father’s unlawful earnings are considered lawful for his child, it is also permissible for the child to spend from this wealth. Another matter is that selling goods at a different price in deferred (installment) sales is also religiously permissible.

It is the natural right and duty of a person to earn his living through legitimate and halal ways. Our religion regards the time spent for earning one's living for himself and his family as worshipping. Thus, it determines and encourages the legitimate ways of earning money and prohibits illegitimate and unjust ways of earning money.

As it is known, craft, trade and agriculture are the first ways of earning one's living that come to mind. Ways like getting and giving interest, bribery, black-marketeering are illegitimate and haram.

In this age, when the distance between halal and haram has narrowed and leading a straightforward life has become difficult, a believer has to act carefully and meticulously. He has to act very carefully in order to prevent any haram and doubtful things from entering his stomach. It is a mischief of our age that the things and people that invite people to haram are abundant and those that invite them to halal are scarce.

The haram food that is tried once due to being influenced by the environment or due to ambition is repeated. Sometimes people find excuses and make interpretations to justify their mistakes. In the course of time, it becomes possible to live with harams. 

The following hadith, which causes believers to act carefully and wants them to continue their lives based on belief, is significant: 

Sa’d bin Abi Waqqas, who were given the glad tiding of Paradise, said to the Messenger of Allah,

“O Messenger of Allah! Pray to Allah so that my prayers will be accepted.” The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) answered as follows: 

“Let what you eat be halal. The prayer of a person who eats halal food is accepted. I swear by Allah that when a person eats haram food, his prayer is not accepted for forty days. The body of a person whose flesh is made up of unjust profits and interest deserves fire.” (Mukhtasar Ibn Kathir, I/149)

In that case, we have to keep away from the illegitimate means that cast a suspicion on our worldly and otherworldly bliss and always ask Allah to give us halal food in our prayers. This effort of a person's about himself will definitely affect the people around him. His straightforward life will be taken as an example. On the other hand, due to this careful act, a believer will not be in a difficult situation regarding his relationships with his friends and relatives. His acts and attitudes will not be found strange; on the contrary, they will be appreciated.    

If we act in the dinners, receptions and meetings with friends in a civilized manner based on the same principles as we act in our family life, we will be relieved and feel peaceful.

The means that encourage people to commit harams and show them as nice things are abundant. Primarily Satan and our souls try to lead us to that way. Sometimes, financial difficulties and family problems can cause us to do haram things. In some cases, we may keep away from haram things but we may be dragged into haram by our friends or relatives. It may be in the form of accepting an invitation, gift and inheritance.

It is sunnah and sometimes wajib to go to the place where you are invited. Similarly, it is a religious and humane duty not to reject gifts. However, it is necessary to take into consideration whether the person giving the gift or dinner, etc earns his living from halal or haram ways. If a person accepts a gift without searching, he will be held responsible like the one who gives it.

Therefore, it is necessary not to accept the invitations of fasiqs who commit major sins openly and who do not regret their sins. To accept the invitation and gift of a person who earns most of his wealth from haram ways like interest and bribery means to eat haram; therefore, it is necessary to avoid accepting them.

If the food that has been prepared comes from halal inheritance or by borrowing money from somebody, it is permissible to eat. The decree about the income of the person who invites you to a dinner etc is based on whether most of his income is halal or haram. That is, if most of his income comes from haram ways, it is haram. If most of his income comes from halal ways, it is halal; and what you eat is regarded to come from his halal income.

However, according to Hanbalis, it is makruh to accept the invitation of a person whose income includes both halal and haram. According to a narration included in the fiqh book called Rawda, “the invitation of  a fasiq is accepted.”

However, the view of madhhab imams and mujtahids in general is that one cannot benefit from a profit most of which is haram. (Fatawa al-Hindiyya, V/343)

The same thing is valid for inheritance. If the legator earned his wealth from haram ways like interest, bribery, seizing and black-marketeering, the inheritor cannot use it. If the wealth was seized from someone, it is necessary to find the owner and return it. If he does not know that person, he can donate it to charity. If it is said that the wealth was haram but if it is not known definitely where and how it came from, the inheritor can use it. However, it is more appropriate to give it to the poor on behalf of its owner. (Raddu’l-Muhtar, IV/130)

If it is not possible for a person to return the gift that was obtained through haram ways sent to him, it is necessary to give it to charity.  

It is necessary to be careful while applying these religious decrees so as not to cut off all civilized and humane relationships and not to offend our addressees.  

The main point in refusing the invitation and food of a person who earns through haram ways should be to make him abandon earning through haram ways.

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