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Fatwa CenterStep-father provides for house by working in a liquor store
Question
Al slam Alykom , I have a question please . I am 20 years and I live with my mother and my step dad and my brother . My step dad works in a liquor store and he pays for the house . My question is , what is the ruling about drinking and eating from this house? . Would it be halal if I pay half of the water bill and drink from the water in the house . ( I advised my mom about him working in the liquor store , but she thinks that he can`t find another job )
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
It is not permissible to sell alcohol or to help sell it in any given way. Anas 
related that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Allaah has cursed ten people related to wine: the one who presses it, the one for whom it is pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who carries it, the one to whom it is carried, the one who pours it, the one who sells it, the one who consumes its price, the one who buys it and the one for whom it is bought.” [At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah] Please refer to Fataawa 90278 and 87680.
The scholars held different opinions regarding the permissibility of eating food bought by someone whose earnings are unlawful. In brief, it is impermissible to eat food bought by wealth that is entirely earned through unlawful means; it is disliked if most of the wealth is earned through unlawful means; and it is permissible if a small part of the wealth is earned through unlawful means.
Since your mother's husband provides the household expenses from his unlawfully gained money acquired from selling alcohol, it is incumbent on him to turn back to Allaah and repent from this sin and quit this job immediately unless he is compelled to do so in order to provide his basic needs and the basic needs of his dependents and he cannot find another lawful job. In this case, it is permissible for him to retain his job until he finds another lawful one as necessity is assessed proportionately.
With regard to the wife whose husband provides for her from unlawful money, it is permissible for her to live on such unlawful money in case of necessity, if she has no other lawful source of income to provide for her needs. If she is in no need of it (her husband's money), then it is impermissible for her to live on her husband’s unlawful earnings.
Kashshaaf Al-Qinaa‘ (a Hanbali book) reads: “If the husband brings her forbidden provisions, she is not obliged to accept it; in fact, it is not permissible for her to consume it.” She is also entitled to demand that her husband spends on her from lawful earnings." [End of quote]
As for you, if you have lawful wealth to provide for yourself or you can find a lawful job from which you earn a living to dispense with the money of your step-father acquired through selling alcohol, it is incumbent on you to do so. However, if you are poor and cannot find a lawful job, there is no harm in living on the unlawful money of your step-father. Unlawful money given to the poor person is lawful for the poor.
An-Nawawi 
said: “If the unlawful wealth is offered to a poor person, it is not deemed unlawful to him; instead, it is lawful and pure for the poor to spend. The person whose wealth or income is acquired through unlawful means may give his (unlawful) money as charity to himself or his dependents if he is poor, because his dependents, if they are poor, then the quality exists in relation to them; rather, they deserve his charity more than anyone else; and he may take what is proportionate to his need because he is also poor.” [Al-Majmoo‘]
As for what your mother's husband bought without paying its price in cash, then the scholars said that it is permissible to consume it; so there is no harm in consuming it even if he paid for it later from his salary earned from the above-mentioned job. So even if you do not contribute to the water bills, there is no sin on you for using the water.
Allaah Knows best.
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