Is it permissible to give to charities who fund military arms or tobacco investments?

Q: Is it permissible to give charity to organisations if one knows they are funding military arms and tobacco investment?

الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب

A: Military armaments can be both permissible and impermissible depending on the situation at hand.  In fact, they can even be an obligation such as when needed for self-defence.  If the armaments are utilised in a manner that adheres to Shariah principles then it is permissible to give charity to an organisation that funds these.  If Shariah principles are not adhered to then one should not give charity to an organisation funding the same. 

One should avoid giving charity to an organisation that funds investment in the tobacco industry.  At the very least such investments are reprehensible and in the view of many contemporary scholars are outright impermissible.

The management of the charity themselves have a duty to invest only in ethical and relatively safe Shariah compliant investments.

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