A Preacher’s Warning on Halal Welfare Turning Haram

Over the past decade, a preacher who has served in mosques across Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia has encountered a recurring story, one that begins with hope, detours into disillusionment, and ends in deep emotional and spiritual unrest.

He prefers not to publish his name, not out of fear, but because he wants the message, not himself to be the focus. His goal, he says, is simple, to remind Muslims that blessings must be earned truthfully, not taken unjustly.

The preacher describes meeting many Muslims who once lived in the U.S., Canada, or Europe for decades before returning to Malaysia in search of peace. They spoke of praying five times a day, holding tightly to faith, and yet feeling persistently empty “like the sweetness of life never touched them” one woman told him.

Another brother confided that despite financial stability, he had “never smiled from the heart” during his 18 years in Europe.

On the surface, their struggles looked like cultural conflict or failed integration. But after long conversations, the preacher noticed a deeper pattern.

“They were carrying a burden” he says,

Halal Welfare Is Permitted, But Not Every Case Is Halal

In Islam, social support is not only permitted; it is encouraged. The Qur’an praises those who help the needy. Governments that provide welfare, whether Muslim or not, fulfill an admirable duty.

But the preacher stresses an important distinction:

“Taking assistance when you truly qualify for it is Halal. But taking it through deception, excuses, or false claims makes that provision Haram.”

He cites the Qur’anic warning:

“And do not consume one another’s wealth unjustly.”
— Surah Al-Baqarah 2:188

“It’s very clear” he notes. “If the foundation is false, the wealth becomes impure, and impure wealth brings unrest to the heart.”

The Untold Story Behind Many Asylum Journeys

The preacher describes groups of Muslims who once lived peacefully in their home countries, with family, farmland, stability, and community. But the temptation of earning more in Europe, combined with stories from neighbors or relatives, pushed them to leave it all behind.

“They were told there is a better life in Europe. More money. Free support” he says. “So they left through smugglers, risking their lives.”

Upon arriving in Italy, Germany, Denmark, or other countries, many applied for asylum. While some truly faced danger and had every right to seek protection, the preacher explains that others knowingly invented stories, claiming persecution, violence, or political threats that did not exist.

Their asylum status was granted based on those statements, and from the first day, they entered the social welfare system.

At first, the support felt like victory, steady income, housing, food, healthcare.

“But slowly,” the preacher says, “their hearts began to dry.”

He witnessed patterns of emotional numbness, persistent sadness, inability to feel gratitude, strained marriages, isolation and spiritual disconnection.

And yet, they blamed everything except the true cause.

“Some said the locals didn’t accept them. But these same locals offered shelter, clothing, food, and kindness. Some said Western culture was cold. Some said the countries were racist,” he recalls.

“But none of them asked themselves, Did I build my life on a lie? Did I start this journey with wealth that is not pure?”

The Quiet Harm in Hidden Work and Double Claims

The preacher also highlights those who legally receive welfare but secretly work “under the table (undeclared)” in grocery stores, restaurants, factories, while still claiming full government support.

“That money is public money. It belongs to the people. It is an amanah (trust). If you take what is not yours, you betray that trust,” he says.

Some send the money back home. Some use it to own property in their home country while pretending to be financially helpless in Europe.

“And then they ask why blessings don’t enter their home,” he says gently.

He references another Qur’anic reminder:

“Allah will not bless a life built on falsehood.”
(Meaning reflected from various verses on truth and honesty, such as Surah At-Tawbah 9:119)

A Spiritual Problem Disguised as Cultural Conflict

The preacher explains that the psychological distress many returnees feel is not simply about European culture or foreign environments.

When a person knowingly benefits from something Haram, especially financial assistance gained through deception it affects the soul. It creates spiritual agitation, emotional heaviness, and a sense of being lost.

“Haram does not always punish the body,” he says. “Sometimes it punishes the heart.”

This, he believes, is why many Muslims living abroad feel that even their prayers feel “dry” or “unheard.”

“You cannot build a peaceful life on a foundation mixed with lies,” he says. “Even if the house looks beautiful, the walls are hollow.”

A Message of Correction, Not Condemnation

The preacher is firm but compassionate. His message is not to shame anyone, but to steer them back to a path of sincerity.

“Allah forgives everything when a person returns with honesty,” he reminds.
“The problem is not the past mistake, but it is refusing to correct them.”

He encourages Muslims to re-evaluate whether their welfare claims are genuinely deserved, stop any form of hidden or illegal work, repay or correct past claims when possible, seek lawful (halal) income and rebuild life with transparency.

“True rizq (sustenance) is not about how much you earn,” he says. “It’s about whether it enters your home clean, and therefore brings peace.”

The Foundation Determines the Future

Many Muslims living in Europe, United State, Canada, Australia and in New Zealand carry invisible burdens guilt, fear, spiritual emptiness, emotional fatigue. The preacher believes that in many cases, these burdens originate from one overlooked place: the purity of the income that sustains their life.

If the foundation is built on deception or unlawful welfare, the emotional and spiritual consequences follow.

But with honesty, repentance, and change, the path can be reset.

“Just make the intention,” he says. “One sincere intention is to fix your life, and Allah will rebuild everything from the ground up.”