قال الله تعالى، سبحانه وتعالى: {وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِالْبَاطِلِ} (البقرة: ١٨٨)

Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, cautions us saying, {And do not eat up your property among yourselves for vanities.} (AI-Baqarah: 188)

تدلّ الآية على أن الله تعالى أمر المسلمين بأن يجتنبوا أخذ أموال بعضهم بعضاً بالطرق الباطلة. وقال عبد الله بن عباس رضي الله عنهما: «المراد بالآية الأيمانُ الكاذبة التي يأخذ بها الإنسان مال غيره بغير حق». وأكل الحرام نوعان:

The verse means that Muslims are commanded by Allah to avoid taking the property of each other’s through illegal means. Abdullah Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said, "What is meant in the verse are the false oaths through which a person takes the property of another with no right." The consumption of Haram is of two kinds:

1) أخذ مال الغير بالظلم، كما في حالات الخيانة والسرقة.

1) Taking another's property through oppression such as in cases of treachery and robbery.

2) أخذ مال الغير عن طريق صور محرّمة من الألعاب والمسابقات، كالقمار واليانصيب.

2) Taking other's property through unlawful forms of sports and games such as gambling and the lottery.

قال رسول الله ﷺ في أحاديث كثيرة بتحريم أكل الحرام، وهنا نذكر الأحاديث التالية لبيان خطورة هذه المعصية الشنيعة:

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has condemned the consumption of the Haram in many hadiths. Here, we will quote the following hadiths to explain the gravity of this heinous sin:

قال رسول الله ﷺ: «إنَّ رجالًا يتخوَّضون في مال الله بغير حق، فلهم النارُ يوم القيامة».1

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "Some people spend Allah's wealth (i.e., the Muslims' wealth) in an unjust manner; such people will be put in the Hell on the Day of Judgment.”1

... ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ الرَّجُلَ الَّذِي يُطِيلُ السَّفَرَ، أَشْعَثَ أَغْبَرَ، يَمُدُّ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، يَقُولُ: يَا رَبِّ! يَا رَبِّ! وَمَطْعَمُهُ حَرَامٌ، وَمَشْرَبُهُ حَرَامٌ، وَمَلْبَسُهُ حَرَامٌ، وَغُذِيَ بِالْحَرَامِ، فَأَنَّى يُسْتَجَابُ لِذَلِكَ؟ ٢

"... Then he mentioned (the case of) a man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky saying, 0 Lord! 0 Lord! While his food is unlawful, his drink unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, how can he be answered?” 2

قال أنسٌ رضي الله عنه للنبيِّ ﷺ: «0

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said to the prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) '0

يا رسول الله! ادعُ الله لي أن يجعل دعائي مقبولًا. فقال الرسول ﷺ

Messenger of Allah! Supplicate to Allah for me to make my Du'a' acceptable." The Messenger (pbuh)

قال: «يا أنس! لتكون دعوتك مقبولة، فكُلْ الحلال فقط، فإن الإنسان قد يُحرم إجابة دعائه أربعين يومًا بسبب لقمة واحدة من الحرام». [3]

replied, "0 Anas! To have an acceptable Du'a', you should eat only the Halal (Lawful) since a person may be deprived of his D~t'a' being answered for forty days because of eating a mouthful of Haram food.” 3

قَدَّرَ اللهُ سُلُوكَكُمْ كَمَا قَدَّرَ رِزْقَكُمْ. إِنَّ اللهَ يُعْطِي الدُّنْيَا لِمَنْ يُحِبُّ وَلِمَنْ لَا يُحِبُّ، وَلَا يُعْطِي الدِّينَ إِلَّا لِمَنْ يُحِبُّ. فَمَنْ أُعْطِيَ الدِّينَ فَقَدْ أَحَبَّهُ اللهُ. أَلَا وَإِنَّ مَنْ كَسَبَ مَالًا حَرَامًا، فَمَا أَنْفَقَهُ أَوْ تَصَدَّقَ بِهِ أَوْ خَلَّفَهُ، كَانَ زَادَهُ إِلَى النَّارِ.

"Allah has decreed your behavior as He has decreed your provision. Surely, Allah grants the joys of this world to those whom He loves and those whom He loves not, but He does not grant religion except to those whom He loves. Therefore, those who are blessed with religion receive Allah's Love. Assuredly, no one earns Haram money but what he spends, gives as charity or leaves behind will be his fuel in Hell-fire.

إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَمْحُو السَّيِّئَ بِالسَّيِّئِ، وَلَكِنْ يَمْحُو السَّيِّئَ بِالْحَسَنِ.4

Verily Allah does not obliterate evil by means of evil, but He obliterates evil by means of good. .”4

إنَّ هذه الدنيا حُلوةٌ خضِرةٌ، ومَن كَسَبَ المالَ مِن حلالٍ وأنفَقَه في وجهٍ مشروعٍ، أثابَه اللهُ بالجنَّة. وأمَّا مَن كَسَبَ المالَ مِن حرامٍ وأنفَقَه في وجوهٍ مُحرَّمةٍ، أسكنَه اللهُ دارَ الهَوانِ (جهنَّم). ومِن الناسِ مَن يُنفِقُ مالَ اللهِ بغيرِ حقٍّ حسبَ هواه.

"This worldly life is joyful and attractive. Therefore, whoever earns property through lawful means and spends it in a legal manner, Allah will reward him with Paradise. On the other hand, whoever earns property through unlawful means and spends it in illegal ends, Allah will make him dwell in the abode of humiliation (Hell). Some people also spend Allah's wealth in an unjust manner according to their whims,.

سَيُلْقَوْنَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.1

Such people will be put in the Hell on the Day of Judgment.”1

مَنْ لَا يُبَالِي مِنْ أَيْنَ اكْتَسَبَ مَالَهُ، لَا يُبَالِي اللَّهُ مِنْ أَيِّ بَابٍ أَدْخَلَهُ النَّارَ. وَرَوَى أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ (رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ) حَدِيثًا يَقُولُ: «لَأَنْ يَمْتَلِئَ فَمُ الرَّجُلِ تُرَابًا خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَضَعَ فِيهِ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ». 2

"Whoever pays no attention to the sources of his money, Allah will not concern about which gate he would enter Hell-Fire.” Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported a hadith that reads, "To fill his mouth with dust is better to a person than putting Haram things in it.” 2

قال يوسف بن أسباط رحمه الله: «إذا تفرّغ الشابّ للعبادة سأل الشيطانُ أعوانَه عن مصدر رزقه، فإن كان حراماً قال: لا تتعبوا أنفسكم في عبادته واجتهاده، فإن أكله الحرام يكفي في إبطال عمله.» ومعنى هذا أن العبادة لا تنفع صاحبها إذا أصرّ على أكل الحرام.

Yusuf Ibn Asbat (may Allah bestow mercy on him) said, "When a young man dedicates his life to worship, Satan asks his assistants about the source of his livelihood. If it is Haram, Satan says, 'Don't bother about his worship and dedication for his consumption of the Haram is sufficient to make his work null and void.'" This means that worship will be of no avail when the worshiper insists on eating Haram.

يُحفَظ هذا المعنى بالحديث المذكور آنفاً أنّه قال ﷺ: «... الرجل يطيل السفر أشعث أغبر يمدّ يديه إلى السماء يا رب يا رب، ومطعمه حرام، ومشربه حرام، وملبسه حرام، وغُذِّي بالحرام، فأنّى يُستجاب لذلك؟» [3]

This meaning is maintained by the aforementioned Hadith that, "... A man who, having journeyed far, is disheveled and dusty and who spreads out his hands to the sky (saying), 'O Lord! O Lord!' while his food is unlawful, his drink unlawful, his clothing unlawful, and he is nourished unlawfully, how can he be answered?” 3

وَرَدَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ: «يُنَادِي مَلَكٌ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ مِنْ فَوْقِ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ: مَنْ أَكَلَ الْحَرَامَ لَمْ يُقْبَلْ مِنْهُ صَرْفٌ وَلَا عَدْلٌ». وَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ: «إِنَّ تَنَزُّهِي عَنْ دِرْهَمٍ مِنَ الشُّبْهَةِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أَتَصَدَّقَ بِمِائَةِ أَلْفِ دِرْهَمٍ». وَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «إِذَا قَالَ الْحَاجُّ بِمَالٍ حَرَامٍ: لَبَّيْكَ اللَّهُمَّ لَبَّيْكَ، قَالَ اللَّهُ: لَا لَبَّيْكَ وَلَا سَعْدَيْكَ، هُوَ حَرَامٌ، وَحَجُّكَ مَرْدُودٌ عَلَيْكَ».4

It is reported in the hadith that, "Every day and night, an angel calls upon people from above Jerusalem, 'Whoever indulges in eating Haram, Allah will never accept his optional or obligatory acts of worship." 'Abdullah Ibn AI-Mubarak said, "Keeping myself clean from consuming a doubtful dirham is more charitable to me than giving 100,000 dirhams in charity." The Prophet (pbuh) said, "When the pilgrim, who journeys to Hajj, by Haram money, says. 'Here I am! At your service." Our Lord, here I am! At your service. Allah will say to him, "your calling is rejected and your Hajj is valueless.”4

وقال ﷺ أيضاً: «مَن اشترى ثوباً بعشرة دراهم فيه درهم حرام، لم يقبل الله له صلاةً ما دام عليه».5

He (pbuh) also said, "Whoever purchases a garment by ten dirhams which contain a Haram dirham, Allah never accepts his prayer as long as he wears this garment.”5

قال وُهيب بن الورد: «لو قمتَ في الصلاة مثل هذه الأسطوانة في المسجد، لم ينفعك ذلك حتى تهتمّ بمعيشتك، أي: تتحقق مما هو حلال مما هو حرام». وقال ابن عباس (رضي الله عنهما): «لا يقبل الله صلاةَ رجلٍ يتغذى من الحرام حتى يتوب». ومثلُ من ينفق مالًا حرامًا في معصية الله كمثل من يطهّر ثوبه بالبول؛ فكما أن الماء وحده يطهّر الثوب، كذلك الحلال وحده يمحو الذنوب». وقال عمر (رضي الله عنه): «كنا نتجنب تسعة أعشار الحلال خشيةَ أن يكون فيه حرام». وروى كعب بن عُجرة (رضي الله عنه) أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: «لا يدخل الجنةَ جسدٌ غُذّي بالحرام». 1

Wuhaib Ibn AI-Ward said, "If you were to stand in Prayer equally as this column stands in the mosque, it would be of no avail until you take care about your livelihood, i.e., to verify what is lawful from what is Haram." Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said, "Allah never accepts the Prayer of a man who feed on Haram until he repents." Similar to the one who spends unlawful money in disobedience of Allah is the one who purifies his garment by urine. Assuredly, only water can purify one's garment just only as the lawful can obliterate sins." 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "We used to abstain from nine tenths of Halal lest it may contain a Haram." Ka'b Ibn 'Ayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) to have said, “A body that is nourished unlawfully will not enter paradise.” 1

زيد بن أرقم رضي الله عنه روى أنه قال: "كان لأبي بكر غلامٌ يُخرج له الخراج، وكان أبو بكر يأكل من خراجه، فجاء يومًا بشيء فأكل منه أبو بكر، فقال له الغلام: أتدري ما هذا؟ فقال له أبو بكر: وما هو؟ فقال: كنتُ في الجاهلية تكهّنتُ لإنسان وما أحسن الكهانة، إلا أني خدعته، فلقيني فأعطاني بذلك، فهذا الذي أكلتَ منه. فأدخل أبو بكر يده في فيه فقاء كل شيء في بطنه." وقيل لأبي بكر بعد ذلك: "يا أبا بكر! أفعلتَ هذا من أجل لقمة حرام؟" فقال: "والله لو أن نفسي تخرج مع هذه اللقمة لم أكن لأتركها، فإني سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: كل جسد نبت من حرام فالنار أولى به." [Ref: 2]

Zaid Ibn Arqam reported that, "Abu Bakr had a slave who used to give him some of his earnings. Abu Bakr used to eat from it. One day he brought something and Abu Bakr ate from it. The slave said to him, 'Do you know what is this?' The slave said, 'Once, in the Pre-Islamic Period of ignorance I told somebody's future though I did not know this knowledge of foretelling but I cheated him, and when he met me, he gave me something for that service, and that is what you have eaten from. Then Abu Bakr put his hand in his mouth and vomited whatever was present in his stomach." Later on, Abu Bakr was asked, “O Abu Bakr! Have you done all this because of a Haram mouthful?" He replied, "By Allah! If I were to perish myself to get this mouthful out of me, I would have no hesitation to do so because I heard the Messenger of Allah say, 'Everybody that is nourished unlawfully, Hell would be his abode.” 2

لكن علماء المسلمين ذكروا أن أكل الحرام يشمل صوراً متعددة من الكبائر، كالخيانة، والظلم، والسرقة، والربا، وأخذ مال اليتيم بغير حق، وشهادة الزور، والرشوة، والغش، والقمار، والسحر، والكهانة، والزنا، والفاحشة، وممارسة النياحة والندب، وإظهار الجزع المفرط على الميت.

However, the Muslim scholars state that the consumption of Haram includes various major sins such as treachery, oppression, robbery, usury, taking the orphan's property with no right, false witness, bribery, deception, gambling, sorcery, foretelling, adultery, fornication, and the practice of wailing, lamenting and showing excessive grief for the dead.

قال رسول الله ﷺ: «يأتي يوم القيامة أناسٌ معهم أعمالٌ صالحةٌ أمثالُ جبال تِهامة، فيُجعلها الله هباءً منثورًا، فيُؤمر بهم إلى النار». قال الصحابة رضوان الله عليهم متعجبين: «0

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, "On the Day of Judgment, there will come some people with righteous deeds which are as huge as the Mount of Tuhamah. These righteous deeds would be soon scattered and invalidated. Consequently, those people would be thrown into Hell-fire." The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) wondered, "0

يا رسولَ الله! كيف يحدث هذا؟" فقال ﷺ: "كان أولئك القوم يصلّون ويصومون ويُزكّون ويحجّون، لكنهم كانوا يأكلون الحرام، فأبطل الله أعمالهم الصالحة."3

Messenger of Allah! How would this happen!" He (pbuh) replied, "Those people used to perform Prayer, fast, gives Zakah and offer Hajj, but they used to consume Haram so Allah invalidated their righteous deeds.”3

رُوِيَ أنَّ رَجُلًا صالِحًا رُئِيَ في المَنامِ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ، فَسُئِلَ عَنْ حالِهِ.

It is narrated that a righteous man was seen in a vision after his death and was asked about his affair.

فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ: «حَسَنًا! لَكِنَّنِي مُنِعْتُ مِنْ دُخُولِ الْجَنَّةِ بِسَبَبِ إِبْرَةٍ اسْتَعَرْتُهَا فِي حَيَاتِي وَلَمْ أَرُدَّهَا إِلَى صَاحِبِهَا».

Thereupon this man explained, "Fine! But I have been prevented from entering Paradise because of a needle which I borrowed in my life and did not give it back to its owner."