Well-off people taking things that are only for the poor from a kaafir state

Question: 21401

In USA, some Muslims request food stamps -which are assigned to poor people- while they have enough money. They hide their bank accounts information to be eligible for these stamps. When I advised them, they told me that it is not haram because they dont take money from an Islamic country! Is that correct?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Firstly:

It is not permissible for you to stay in a
kaafir country unless you have a valid shar’i reason and fulfil the
conditions set out by sharee’ah. These have already been explained several
times. Please see Question #12866
and 6154.

Secondly:

It is not permissible for those who are not
entitled to take these food stamps, whether that is from a Muslim country or
from a kaafir country, because the one who takes them in this case comes
under the ruling on one who tells lies, and Allaah and His Messenger have
forbidden telling lies.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks he lies, when he makes
a promise he breaks it and when he is entrusted with something he betrays
that trust.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 33; Muslim 59).

It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A man will keep on telling the truth until he becomes a siddeeq (one
who speaks the truth). Lying leads to evildoing and evildoing leads to Hell.
A man will keep on telling lies until he is recorded with Allaah as a liar.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5743; Muslim, 2607).

This also involves consuming people’s
property unlawfully.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And
eat up not one another’s property unjustly”

[al-Baqarah 2:188]

It is not permissible for a Muslim to
ask people for money when he has no need of it. Muslim narrated in his
Saheeh (no. 1041) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “Whoever asks the people for money in order to amass more
wealth is asking for a burning coal, so let him ask for less or more.” What
this means is asking so that he may accumulate a large amount when he does
not need to. This was stated by al-Haafiz.

Thirdly:

Muslims should be above doing such
reprehensible deeds which are not only damage their own image and reputation
but that of their religion as well, for this action may be a cause of the
kaafirs attacking their religion or criticizing it.

Allaah praises those who are poor but do not
ask people for anything. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“(Charity is) for Fuqaraa’ (the poor), who
in Allaah’s Cause are restricted (from travel), and cannot move about in the
land (for trade or work). The one who knows them not, thinks that they are
rich because of their modesty. You may know them by their mark, they do not
beg of people at all. And whatever you spend in good, surely, Allaah knows
it well”

[al-Baqarah 2:273]

So what about one who is not poor and is
not in need, but he asks or begs from people? Could this be something
praiseworthy and commendable?

And Allaah knows best.

Source:

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