My friend knows that the way her father is making money now is not halal, but she doesn't earn for herself, she's just 17, what should she do inorder to stay away from haram?
2 Answers
To answer this more correctly some more input is necessary. As not every haram income implies that consuming it is haram. There are many factors that need to be considered the acquisition is one of them, the reason for the change or transition of the owner is another.
Furthermore the charge of the father for his children even if it was acquired in haram way, is halal for them, as it is his (the fathers) duty to feed and to be in charge for them and it is their right to consume from it.
Sheikh Faysal Mawalawi فيصل مولوي said according this fatwa from Islamonline #7484, asking about the permission for a child to take from the money of the parents knowing it has a haram source:
In the following I will translate from Arabic language -if I didn't refer to a source of the translation- based on my own understanding and knowledge, please take these translation carefully!
النفقة التي يأخذها الولد من أبيه تُعتبر مالاً حلالاً للولد ، ولو كانت مكتسبة بطريق حرام من قِبَل الأب إلاّ إذا كان ذلك عن طريق سرقة أو غصب لأعيان بذاتها .
The expense from which a child takes from his father is considered as a halal wealth for the child. Even if it was acquired in a haram manner by the father. Except with items that have been stolen or taken forcefully by the father.والمال الحرام قد يتحوّل إلى حلال بانتقاله إلى مالك جديد بطريق حلال لأنّ الرسول – صلى الله عليه وسلم – قال في لحم أهدته له بريرة وقيل له إنّه صدقة : هو لها صدقة ولنا هديّة ،
Further haram money (income) can change into halal if the owner changes in a halal manner, because, the Messenger Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him said about the meat given in charity by Buraira: "It was Sadaqa for Buraira but a gift for us."والصدقة وإن كانت حلالاً لجميع الناس إلاّ أنّها حرام بحقّ الرسول ، ولأنّ تغيّر سبب الملك كتغيّر الذات وهي قاعدة فقهية مشهورة.
This is because even if sadaqah is halal for all the people it is haram for the Messenger of Allah to receive it, so the reason for the change of the owner of an item is equal to the change of the items essence itself and this is a known fiqh rule.
Note: The hadith referred to in the quote above can be found for example here in Sahih al-Bukhari. By correcting it from a sadaqa to a gift the meat became halal for the prophet () and his family.
So unless a child knows that the father has stolen or forcefully taken things from other people they are allowed to take from their fathers wealth according their needs (not more).
Further in the same fatwa they give advice on what this child should do saying:
إلاّ أنّ من واجب الابن أن ينصح أباه إذا كان يأكل الربا . ولا بأس أن يقاطعه فلا يأكل عنده من باب إنكار المنكر والأخذ بالأحوط، خاصّة حين يصبح قادراً على الكسب . أمّا قبل ذلك فيجوز له أن يأخذ حاجته من مال أبيه ، كما يجب عليه أن ينفق على أبيه إذا أصبح عاجزاً عن الكسب وكان فقيراً، ...
But it is a duty of the son (child) to advise his father if he consume riba. And there's no harm if he (the child) boycotts his father, so that he stops eating at his fathers home in order to show his denial of an abomination and to take the more cautioned option. Especially if he is able to earn for himself. As for the time before that it is permissible to use the wealth of his/her father and on the other hand he/she must be in charge for his/her father if he became unable to earn or was poor...
Some of the content of this fatwa also appears in a fatwa of ibn 'Uthaymeen:
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: Some of the scholars said that in the case of wealth that is haraam because of the way in which it was acquired, the sin is only on the one who earned it, not on the one who takes it in a permissible way from the one who acquired it. This is unlike wealth that is haraam in and of itself, such as alcohol, wealth seized by force, and so on. This view has a strong basis, because the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) bought food from the Jews for his family, and he ate from the lamb that the Jewish women gave him in Khaybar, and he accepted the invitation of a Jew, even though it is well known that most of the Jews consume riba and haraam wealth. Perhaps this view is further supported by the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning the meat that was given in charity to Bareerah: “It is charity for her and a gift from her to us.” Al-Qawl al-Mufeed ‘ala Kitaab al-Tawheed, 3/112. (Source Fatwa on islamqa #45018)
'Abdurrazaq as-Sna'ani quoted several narrations in his Musanaf, here an extract of the most explicit quotes:
#14192: أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ قَالَ : عَنِ الثَّوْرِيِّ ، عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ كُهَيْلٍ ، عَنْ ذَرِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ : جَاءَ إِلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ : إِنَّ لِي جَارًا يَأْكُلُ الرِّبَا ، وَإِنَّهُ لَا يَزَالُ يَدْعُونِي ، فَقَالَ : مَهْنَؤُهُ لَكَ وَإِثْمُهُ عَلَيْهِ ،
We where informed by 'Abdurrazaaq from a-Thawry from Salamah ibn Kohayl from Dhar ibn 'Abdullah from ibn Mas'ud who reported that a man came to him and asked him: I have a neighbour who consumes from riba, and he always invite me. He answered: his well-whisher is for you and his sin is for him.#14193. أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ قَالَ : أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ ، عَنِ الزُّبَيْرِ بْنِ عَدِيِّ ، عَنْ سَلْمَانَ الْفَارِسِيِّ قَالَ : إِذَا كَانَ لَكَ صَدِيقٌ عَامِلٌ ، أَوْ جَارٌ عَامِلٌ ، أَوْ ذُو قَرَابَةٍ عَامِلٌ ، فَأَهْدَى لَكَ هَدِيَّةَ أَوْ دَعَاكَ إِلَى طَعَامٍ ، فَاقْبَلْهُ ، فَإِنَّ مَهْنَأَهُ لَكَ وَإِثْمُهُ عَلَيْهِ
We where informed by 'Abdurrazaaq from Ma'amar, from abu Ishaaq, from az-Zubayr ibn 'Ady from Slaman al-Farisis who said: If you have a friend, neighbour or relative who is a laborer and he gave you a gift or invited you for a meal, then accept it, because his well-whisher is for you and his sin if for him.
As for the first quote Sufyan a-Thawry hold the opinion that one better not accept the invitation if there's certainty for this food being acquired in that manner. This is a safer or more cautious manner to handle with these kinds of invitations.
See also:-in Arabic- Fatwa on islamweb #273013
What do you do in Islam, if you know that your parents' income is not lawful, but you do not make a living yourself? The task is to first preach and warn the father's family, and if it does not work, ask others, especially the religious scholars (ulema), to advise him. And since you have no other source, it is permissible to use it for yourself as much as necessary, but not more than necessary.