He does not take anything for himself from what he was entrusted with distributing
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa number ( 17737 )
Q1: I am a department head in a large organization. The general president of this organization gave me a sum of money, not directly, but through the head of a larger department than the one I lead. I was given this amount to distribute it to the poor and the needy in my own way. I do not know whether this amount is zakah or a donation. So I dealt with this amount by distributing a part of it to the poor and the needy, a part I used to print religious books, a part I used to buy office furniture for the department I head, which is one of the departments of the organization headed by the one who paid the aforementioned amount, and a part I took for myself; because, as Allah knows, I am among the eight categories to whom charity is lawful. What is the ruling on my action? Knowing that I am in debt and I
cannot inform the one who gave the amount at all.
A: If the situation is as you described, that you were given money to undertake its distribution to the poor and the needy, then you are an agent for the one who appointed you to this matter. It is obligatory for you to adhere to the restriction placed upon you, which is distributing it to the poor and the needy. It is not a concern for you whether it is charity or zakah, for the intention of the principal is sufficient. As for your spending a part of the amount on printing some books and buying furniture, that is an overstep on your part. You must repent to Allah and seek His forgiveness, pay the cost of it, and spend it in what you were restricted to, which is distributing it to the poor and the needy. It is not permissible for you to take anything from the aforementioned amount, even if you are poor or needy, except with the permission of the owner of the money. You must pay back what you took for yourself and give it to the poor. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q1: I am a department head in a large organization. The general president of this organization gave me a sum of money, not directly, but through the head of a larger department than the one I lead. I was given this amount to distribute it to the poor and the needy in my own way. I do not know whether this amount is zakah or a donation. So I dealt with this amount by distributing a part of it to the poor and the needy, a part I used to print religious books, a part I used to buy office furniture for the department I head, which is one of the departments of the organization headed by the one who paid the aforementioned amount, and a part I took for myself; because, as Allah knows, I am among the eight categories to whom charity is lawful. What is the ruling on my action? Knowing that I am in debt and I
cannot inform the one who gave the amount at all.
A: If the situation is as you described, that you were given money to undertake its distribution to the poor and the needy, then you are an agent for the one who appointed you to this matter. It is obligatory for you to adhere to the restriction placed upon you, which is distributing it to the poor and the needy. It is not a concern for you whether it is charity or zakah, for the intention of the principal is sufficient. As for your spending a part of the amount on printing some books and buying furniture, that is an overstep on your part. You must repent to Allah and seek His forgiveness, pay the cost of it, and spend it in what you were restricted to, which is distributing it to the poor and the needy. It is not permissible for you to take anything from the aforementioned amount, even if you are poor or needy, except with the permission of the owner of the money. You must pay back what you took for yourself and give it to the poor. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.