I am a young man, 22 years old, and am a university student studying abroad. I cannot take on any work because of my studies. My father is well off but he is very stingy. I can get social security which would be paid to me because of colon troubles and weak eyesight which many people suffer from. With this money, my father would not be responsible for my expenses. I went to the website of the ministry of social affairs and I saw the conditions, and I did not see anything objectionable, except that it is essential to undergo a medical exam only. It does not mention conditions of being present or not. It is permissible for me to take this benefit or not? Even if I do not attend any appointment or review for getting this money. I asked my father to swear that he would keep this money away from me if there was anything haraam in it and he answered: Don’t you have the sicknesses mentioned? I said, Yes. He said: Then it is not haraam. My father threatened that he would never spend anything on me if I tried to stop the money on the grounds that the matter is dubious. In fact I felt sad after I started to take the money, which now I have no choice but to accept. Please advise me, may Allaah reward you.
Praise be to Allah.
If the matter is as you
described, then you should go to the responsible department and have the
medical exam, and thus the money will become permissible, doubt will be
dispelled and you will be free from wrongdoing.
It seems that their
stipulation of a medical exam is that it should be done by a department of
the ministry.
If you are abroad because of studies that prevent you from attending and having an exam, then we hope that there will not be any blame on you if you take the money, so long as the description applies to you.
And Allaah knows best.