Selling Haram to non-Muslims

11-5-2004 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am a Muslim. I heard an Egyptian Mufti that we can sell forbidden things to non-Muslims if we live in a non-Muslim country (like pork). It is said that Ibn Taymiyah allowed Muslims to make and sell alcohol to the Tartars when they controlled Muslim countries. Please advise me about this matter.

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

 

We are not aware of any such Fatwa (the one you are referring to). Selling what is forbidden to non-Muslims is also forbidden since even non-Muslims are also addressed by the rulings of Shariah for the verse: {Every person is a pledge for what he has earned, Except those on the Right, (i.e. the pious true believers of Islâmic Monotheism); In Gardens (Paradise) they will ask one another, About Al-Mujrimûn (polytheists, criminals, disbelievers, etc.), (And they will say to them): "What has caused you to enter Hell?" They will say: "We were not of those who used to offer their Salât (prayers). "Nor we used to feed Al-Miskin (the poor); "And we used to talk falsehood (all that which Allâh hated) with vain talkers. "And we used to belie the Day of Recompense.}[74:38-46].

The above verse proves that they would be punished on neglecting the prayers and other obligations.

We did not come across any Fatwa of Sheikh al-Islam in this subject as you mentioned.  But what is reported about him by his pupil Ibn al-Qayyim is that he said, ‘I and some of my companions passed by some Tatars who were drinking alcohol.  One of my companions disapproved of their act, and I did not agree with his action. I said to him, Allah made alcohol forbidden because it prevents the person from the remembrance of Allah but in the case of these people it prevents them from killing innocent people, enslaving them and from taking their property'.

 

Allah knows best.