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Fatwa CenterRuling on past wealth and pictures of actress who embraced Islam
Question
If a non-Muslim actress converts to Islam, is the money that she earned as an actress halal? And is it haram if people look at old pictures of her before she wore a hijab?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
She is not obliged to get rid of the money that she gained before she embraced Islam. Rather, she is permitted to benefit from it.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen 
was asked about a person who earned money from trading in drugs before embracing Islam, and he replied:
"We say to this brother whom Allah has blessed with Islam after he had earned unlawful wealth, 'rejoice,' for this wealth is halaal (lawful) for him, and there is no sin on him in it, whether he keeps it, or gives it in charity, or uses it to get married, because Allah says in His Book (what means): {Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven. But if they return (thereto), then the examples of those (punished) before them have already preceded (as a warning).} [Quran 8:38]; i.e., all that has passed, in general terms, is forgiven. However, any money that was taken by force from its owner, he must return it to him. Nevertheless, money that was earned from people with their consent, even if it is forbidden, like that which is earned through interest or by selling drugs and so on, it is halaal for him when he becomes Muslim because Allah says, {Say to those who have disbelieved, if they cease (from disbelief), their past will be forgiven.} Also, the Prophet said to ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas when he became Muslim, 'Did you not know that Islam wipes out the sins committed before embracing it?' Besides, many of the disbelievers converted to Islam after they had killed many Muslims; despite this fact, they were not held accountable for what they had done. So tell this brother that his wealth is lawful for him and that there is no sin in it; he may give it in charity and use it to get married. As for what he has been told, that it is not permissible for him to give it all in charity or some of it, then there is no basis for that.” [Excerpted from Liqaa’aat Al-Baab il-Maftooh – Open Door Meetings]
As regards looking at the forbidden pictures of this actress who became Muslim, then she is not sinful for it if she endeavored as much as possible to prevent the publication of such images.
The effect of the sin does not affect the validity of her repentance after she was unable to prevent it or remove it.
The prominent scholar Ash-Shinqeeti said in Adhwaa’ Al-Bayaan:
“Whoever repents from the sin that he had been doing while the corruption of that sin still exists; namely, its bad impact, would his repentance be valid, taking into account that he did everything he could in his repentance, even though giving up the sin is not achieved because of not being able to remove its corruption at the time, or would it (his repentance) not be valid because giving up the sin, which is the pillar of repentance has not been achieved? ... (Then he gave examples on this and then said:) The majority of the scholars are of the view that his repentance in all the above examples is valid; because repentance is an obligation on him, and he did all what he could in this obligation. What he is unable to do about it, he is forgiven for it, as Allah says (what means): {Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.} [Quran 2:286]
Allah knows best.
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