Ḥarām Gains: Can One Shop at Stores Selling Both Ḥalāl and Ḥarām Goods?

Practical Laws of Islam as per the teachings of Imam Khamenei

Ḥarām Gains: Can One Shop at Stores Selling Both Ḥalāl and Ḥarām Goods?

English:

Question #1091:

There is a company with a network of branches selling goods to the public; some items are ḥarām such as imported non-ḥalāl meat. This necessarily means that part of the company’s income is illicit.

Is it permissible to buy goods in the stores of such a company where both ḥalāl and ḥarām products are sold? Should one assume that it is permissible, does receiving the change require the permission of the authorised religious authority, for it is considered property of anonymous owner. If, however, one assumes that permission is required, do you permit those persons who buy their necessary things to receive the change?

Answer #1091:

General knowledge of the existence of illicit assets among that of a company should not cast a doubt on the validity of shopping in that company’s stores unless all the company’s assets could be dealt with by the mukallaf. Consequently, there is no problem, for all people to buy their necessary things from such a store, nor is it a problem to receive the change as long as the whole company’s assets could not be dealt with by the buyer himself. The case is also such if one does not know for sure that the very purchased item involves ḥarām things. Furthermore, getting permission from the authorised religious authority for the usage of such goods and the change received from the store is not necessary.

-Imam Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Importance and Conditions of Ḥarām Gains