. J (cont.)

However, as ibn Daqeeq al-Eid points out, in Allah's mercy and grace, He may still respond to such a person although the person himself is doing something so great that it could prevent him from being responded to. Allah may also respond to his supplications for quite a different reason. It may be another means by which the person takes himself to his own destruction and punishment. He is involved in forbidden deeds and yet he supplicates and Allah gives him what he asks for. This should cause some awakening on his part. He should recognize the blessings that Allah has given him and how Allah has responded to him although he has not responded properly to Allah's call. If this does not have any affect on him, then it is a matter of Allah simply giving him more blessings while he is making himself more and more ungrateful for what Allah has given him. Hence, the person is just taking himself closer and closer to his own destruction. Other Points Related to This Hadith • Giving charity from illegal wealth or wealth wrongfully attained is not acceptable to Allah. • Ibn Abbas was asked about a man who was performing a deed, taking wealth wrongfully from others and then he repented. He made Hajj, freed slaves and gave charity from that wealth. Ibn Abbas said about him, "Filth does not wipe away filth." Similarly, ibn Masud said, "Filth does not expiate filth. But pure deeds wipe away filth."1 • If a thief or usurper gives in charity for his own sake, such a deed will not be accepted. That is, the person will not be rewarded for it. In fact, he will be considered sinful because he used the money in a specific way without getting permission for that. The original or rightful owner also will not be rewarded for that, since that was neither his intent or purpose. This is the opinion of a number of scholars and it has been narrated from Saeed ibn al­ Musayyab. Similarly, if a ruler or governor wrongfully takes wealth from the public treasury and builds a mosque with it or distributes copies of the Quran with that wealth, claiming that he is doing a charitable act, he will not be rewarded for such a deed and his act is wrong, even though people may benefit from his wrongful act. 2 • If a person has money that was gotten through illegal means and he is not able to return the money to its rightful owner or his heirs, then he may give it away to charitable causes. This is the opinion of Malik, Abu Hanifah, Ahmad and others. Imam al-Shafi'ee was of the opinion that such wealth 1 Quoted in ibn Rajah, Jaami, vol. 1 , p. 264. 2 Cf., ibn Rajah, Jaami, vol. 1, p. 265. Imam Ahmad makes an exception in the case where the money has been properly collected by the government, such as through war booty. If it is not such, then what they have done is forbidden and they will not be rewarded for it. Hadith #1 0: "Allah is pure and accepts only .. " should be kept and saved until it could be returned to its rightful owners. Al-Fudhail ibn Iyaadh states that such money should be destroyed or thrown into the ocean and cannot be given in charity. Ibn Rajah states that the correct opinion is that it is to be given in charity as it is forbidden to waste wealth, as is clear in a hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Obviously, though, the one who received it wrongfully and gives it away does not give it as charity on his own behalf, seeking its reward. Instead, he gives it on behalf of its rightful owner in the hope that the rightful owner will benefit from that in the Hereafter, since it is not possible to benefit him with it in this life. 1 • This hadith also alludes to the importance of supporting oneself through permissible means. How one supports himself is how he lives his life. All of his life is based on how he is supporting himself. If he is supporting himself through legal means, then he will be blessed and rewarded for all that he does with what he has provided for himself. But if he supports himself through illegal means, then all that he does with that wealth may be of no benefit to him whatsoever. Indeed, he may just be exposing himself to more sin. In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, t:઀-1ઁ ં \ 't Ll'))I L Á -଴> C J, f 01 ࣬ ..  u . t. ੿ . , ,. .x ࣭ J  "The first thing that putrefies of a human is his stomach. Therefore, if one of you can keep himself to consuming only good (legal and from legal sources) food, he should do so." (Recorded by al-Bukhari.) One's wealth and provisions must be from pure sources.