My question is about a friend who informed me that she goes to church to attend lectures about the way to raise children. Without attending these lectures, they do not accept her subscription to take assistance for her young children such as food, toys, clothes and requirements from the things that the Christian people donate to their church. My answer to her was that her deed is impermissible especially that she is not needy at all. My reply to her was based on the fact that she is not in financial need and the fact that this assistance is from the church. Is what I based my reply on correct or did I give an incorrect opinion?

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.

Attending lectures in churches for the sake of obtaining financial or in-kind assistance is impermissible because this is a bribe to call Muslims to Christianity. This is clear from your words. Without these lectures, she is not allowed to take the assistance. There is no doubt that going to churches, sitting with the Christians and listening to priests will eliminate the creed of loyalty for Muslims and dissociation from the disbelievers, love and hate for the sake of Allaah The Almighty especially that these lectures are about upbringing. There is no doubt that upbringing for those people is different from upbringing for Muslims.

You should advise this woman not to go to this church and explain to her that she is jeopardizing her religion to obtain a few pennies and that she should abstain from accepting such assistance as long as she does not need it. If she is needy, she should ask the Muslims first. The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "Whoever abstains from begging, Allaah The Almighty Will Suffice him." [Al-Bukhari] He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also said: “If a slave resorts to begging, Allaah The Almighty Paves his way to poverty”

Allaah Knows best.