for the Muslim—whether he gives charity from it, spends it on himself and his relatives, marries by means of it, or leaves it as an inheritance to those who come after him—he will receive a tremendous reward.

A Muslim must keep away from unlawful, filthy earnings. Allah the Exalted says, “Say: The impure and the pure are not equal, even though the abundance of the impure may impress you” (5:100). Unlawful earnings bring harmful consequences upon a person, and their earner bears sin for them in this world and the next.

The questioner states that he obtained illicit wealth and used it to pay a bridal dower. Without doubt he has committed something forbidden, but if he sincerely repents to Allah—feeling remorse for what has occurred, resolving never to return to it, and making a sound repentance—then Allah accepts the repentance of His servants.

His marriage is valid, yet he is sinful for spending unlawful money on it. If that money was usurped or taken without right from its owners, he must return an equivalent amount to them, along with repenting to Allah.

Question: Is returning people’s rights also a condition of repentance?

Answer: Yes. One of the conditions of repentance is to restore wrongs to their owners. Therefore, if the money with which he married was stolen property, he must return an equal amount; and if it is still with the wife, he must take it back from her and return it, while she remains entitled to a dowry equal to that ordinarily given to someone like her.

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Forced Marriage

Question: What is the ruling on a marriage that is imposed by force upon a girl or a young man by their families, and is it permissible to disobey one’s parents in such a matter or not?