Who is better: a miserly worshipper or a generous fornicator?

Question

Question: It is said that a generous fornicator or usurer is better than a miserly worshipper. Is this correct?

Answer

This is said because this generous person meets the needs of others. But let it be remembered that because of this generosity neither the crime of taking usury (riba) becomes lighter nor that of committing fornication. Miserly worshippers do not meet the needs of others, but this does not cause their worship to be lost: they receive its reward in its own right.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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