Is My Watch Unlawful If I Bought It with Mostly Unlawful Money?
Hanafi Fiqh
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Before I was Baligh, I had a good phone in school, which is why kids would use my phone to redeem gift cards in a game. I used to charge a small fee for this service.
On the other hand, one child was particularly wealthy and would tell us that he had stolen money from his father’s wallet. Sometimes it’s 500 euros; sometimes it’s 1000 euros. And I made the most money from him. Then I used this money to buy a watch, which I still have to this day.
Is this watch haram for me? What can I do to make it halal?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are well. Thank you for seeking an Islamic answer.
Although you were not morally responsible for not having reached puberty (bulugh), it would be good of you if you were clear in your dealings Islamically.
The money that you earned was mainly from this boy who stole the money from his father. You purchased this watch using the earned money from your friends and this boy. As most of your earned money was through this boy, it can be assumed some or most of it went into purchasing the watch. It is advisable to give some or most of the purchase price to the charity, or even as a caution, the entire purchase price, and you may keep the watch in this way.
May Allah (Most High) keep you steadfast and give you all kinds of openings in all that you pursue and intend to do, amin
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May Allah (Most High) give you ease and relief from the illness.
I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
