A Muslim is prohibited to keep ill-gotten earnings

A: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: O people, Allah is Pure and only accepts that which is pure. Allah commanded the believers to follow the same commandment as He gave to the Messengers. He (Exalted be He) says: O (you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibât [all kinds of Halâl foods which Allâh has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits, etc.] and do righteous deeds. (Part No. 14; Page No. 62) He (Exalted be He) also says: O you who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh - Islâmic Monotheism)! Eat of the lawful things that We have provided you with Then he mentioned a man who has traveled on a long journey and is disheveled and covered with dust; he stretches forth his hands to the heaven, (saying) "O Lord, O Lord", but his food is Haram, his drink is Haram, all his nourishment is Haram, so how can his Du`a' (supplication) be accepted? (Related by Muslim in his Sahih). Hence, it is Haram for the Muslim to have ill-gotten earnings. A person who did any such thing must repent and give up the ill-gotten earnings. There are many permissible ways of earning a living, praise be to Allah. Allah (Glorified be He) says: And whosoever fears Allâh and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. If a person repents while he still has wealth that he acquired through unlawful means, such as Riba and gambling, or by selling illegal goods such as alcohol and pork, he must get rid of that wealth by donating it to public projects, such as repairing roads and public washrooms, or he may distribute it to the needy. He should not keep any of it or benefit from any of it because it is unlawful wealth in which there is no goodness. Repenting from that requires that he must get rid of it and keep away from it, and find another way (Part No. 14; Page No. 63) to earn a living. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.