Trading with unlawful wealth

Question

Question: If a man earned unlawful wealth, his children were brought up on it, some of them became scholars; they engaged in wealth (?), or likewise the other brothers engaged in trade — will their earnings too be called unlawful wealth? And will this keep spreading from generation to generation?

Answer

Whatever wealth was earned in an unlawful way must be returned. If the person from whom, for example, the unlawful wealth (for example, a bribe or usurped property — ghasb) was taken is not present, if he has died, then it should be given to his heirs.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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