Is it permissible or not to use impermissible money, attained through usury (interest), alcohol and bribery etc for permissible actions such as in the building of a Masjid or Madrasa, or for building a well, or for Niyaaz or Fateha etc?
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Question: What is the ruling of the learned Ulama in the following case: Is it permissible or not to use impermissible money, attained through usury (interest), alcohol and bribery etc for permissible actions such as in the building of a Musjid or Madrasa, or for building a well, or for Niyaaz or Fateha etc? What is the ruling if one gives all that money away as khairaat and expects reward for it in return? And Can this money be made legal by any Islamic method or not? If there is, then what is this method? The Answer: To use Haraam money for anything is not permissible, be it for a worthy cause or for anything else. The only thing he can do is to return it to the person from who he took the money or he should give it to the poor. With the exception of this, there is no other method that will make it legal. To give it as khairaat and expect reward for it just as one has intention with pure wealth, is haraam and the Fuqaha (Jurists) have written this to be kufr. However, the Shariat has stipulated that if one does not find the person whom he took the money from, then he should distribute it amongst the poor. Now, if this is what he intends to do, then he can be hopeful of some reward. As for the issue of building of Musjid and Madrasa, then the actual money is not really used in it, but materials are bought. If in purchasing, he did not do this, that he showed something haraam and asked for things in return for it and it was given to him and in payment he gave the illegitimate money, then the actual thing will not be regarded as impure. In this way, the food of fateha and Urs etc. is also regarded as permissible and generally, this is the common practice. To read Namaaz in that Musjid and attain knowledge in that Madrasa is permissible. Now, as for the water of the well, it will be totally permissible under all circumstances, even though if that rare situation is present. If there has been any discrepancy, then it is in the bricks and the mud (cement) and not in the water. والله تعالٰی اعلم
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