He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked:
“Is it unlawful to buy and eat any of these foodstuffs on which tolls are levied and which are subject to tax-farming or monopoly? If a man transacts with someone whose entire wealth is unlawful, such as a toll farmer or someone whose only wealth comes from tolls, does that make him a transgressor?”
He replied:
Praise be to Allah. If a man sells his goods, whether food or anything else, and a levy is collected from either the seller or the buyer, this does not make the goods or their purchase unlawful for either party. There is no doubt whatsoever about their lawfulness. The same applies when part of the goods themselves is taken, such as the offal of a slaughtered sheep or a portion of the grain or fruit. Anyone who thinks this casts doubt on their lawfulness is mistaken. Property taken unjustly, whether from the seller or the buyer, does not cast doubt on the lawfulness of what remains. Likewise, if a man is wronged and some of his property is taken, this does not cast doubt on the lawfulness of his remaining property.
Among these levies imposed without any basis in Islamic law are those imposed