What is the ruling on accepting gifts or stipends (*jawa'iz*) from the Sultan?

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The stipends of the Sultan are not inherently forbidden (*haram*), though abstention (*tanaffuz*) from them is preferred. Imam Abu Abdullah (Ahmad) stated that while he preferred abstention, he did not consider the Sultan's money forbidden, arguing that every Muslim has a right in the public treasury (*bayt al-mal*), making it unjust to label it entirely as ill-gotten gains (*suht*). Companions such as Al-Hasan, Al-Husayn, and Abdullah ibn Ja'far accepted the stipends of Mu'awiyah. Similarly, a narration from Ali states that the stipends are permissible if the permissible amount exceeds the impermissible amount given by the Sultan, advising one not to ask the Sultan for anything but to accept if given, as the permissible in the treasury outweighs the forbidden. Furthermore, these stipends have a basis for permissibility as they derive from sources such as spoils (*fay'*) and obligatory charity (*sadaqah*). Ahmad preferred accepting the Sultan's stipend of a thousand over earning a thousand through trade, as trade often involves deceit or gross exploitation, whereas the stipend is a gift from the Imam given without such issues.