188. “Do not consume one another’s wealth unlawfully, nor use it to press your claims before judges in order knowingly and sinfully to consume a portion of other people’s wealth.”

That is: Do not take “your wealth,” meaning the wealth of others. Allah describes it as your wealth because a Muslim should love for his brother what he loves for himself and regard his brother’s wealth as inviolable, just as he regards his own. Moreover, consuming another person’s wealth emboldens others to consume his wealth when they are able.

Since wealth may be consumed in one of two ways—rightfully or unlawfully—and only its unlawful consumption is forbidden, Allah Most High qualified the prohibition accordingly. This includes taking wealth through usurpation, theft, betrayal of a trust or a loaned item, and the like. It also includes acquiring wealth through a prohibited exchange, such as usurious contracts and every form of gambling. All of this constitutes consuming wealth unlawfully because no lawful countervalue is received in exchange.

It further includes acquiring wealth through fraud in sales, purchases, leases, and similar transactions. It includes employing workers and withholding their wages, as well as workers accepting payment for work whose obligations they have not fulfilled. It also includes accepting payment for acts of worship and devotional deeds that are valid only when performed for the sake of Allah Most High. Likewise, it includes taking zakat, charitable donations, endowment proceeds, or bequests when one has no right to them or taking more than one’s rightful share.

All of this and anything similar constitutes consuming wealth unlawfully and is impermissible under all circumstances. This remains so even if a dispute arises and the matter is taken before a judge of Islamic law, and the person seeking to consume the wealth unlawfully presents an argument that prevails over that of the rightful claimant, causing the judge to rule in his favor. A judge’s ruling does not make the forbidden permissible or render the unlawful lawful; he merely rules according to what he hears, while the true realities of matters remain unchanged. Thus, a judge’s ruling in favor of the wrongdoer provides him with no relief, legitimate excuse, or respite.

Whoever presents a false argument to the judge and obtains a ruling in his favor is still not permitted to take the wealth. Rather, he is consuming another person’s wealth unlawfully and sinfully while knowing it. His punishment will therefore be graver and his chastisement more severe.

Accordingly, if a legal representative knows that his client’s claim is false, it is impermissible for him to argue on behalf of the treacherous, as Allah Most High says: “Do not be an advocate for the treacherous.”