Clearing one's conscience by returning excess money to its owners
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa number ( 20527 )
Q: I cashed a check from one of the banks in Makkah al-Mukarramah, and what I received was Saudi banknotes of the fifty-riyal denomination, 50 bundles, each bundle equaling five thousand riyals (5000). I gave one of my relatives a number of these bundles, counting them, to take care of some needs. When he paid the money to the owner of the goods, the seller discovered that among one of these bundles was a note equal to one hundred US dollars, i.e., its value is over three hundred riyals (300 Saudi riyals). He exchanged it and took fifty riyals (50) from it and returned the rest. I wondered how I could get rid of this amount? I was told: return it to the bank. I was not reassured by this statement, for the amount does not belong to the bank; perhaps it belongs to the Monetary Authority or to another person. The bank received it just as I received it. I ask you to inform me how to get rid of this amount in a proper way that clears my conscience and returns the right to its rightful owner. May Allah reward you with good.
A: You must return the money that exceeds your right to the bank that issued it to you by mistake. If you return it to them, your conscience is cleared of it, and it is not permissible for you to dispose of it in any way other than what we have mentioned. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: I cashed a check from one of the banks in Makkah al-Mukarramah, and what I received was Saudi banknotes of the fifty-riyal denomination, 50 bundles, each bundle equaling five thousand riyals (5000). I gave one of my relatives a number of these bundles, counting them, to take care of some needs. When he paid the money to the owner of the goods, the seller discovered that among one of these bundles was a note equal to one hundred US dollars, i.e., its value is over three hundred riyals (300 Saudi riyals). He exchanged it and took fifty riyals (50) from it and returned the rest. I wondered how I could get rid of this amount? I was told: return it to the bank. I was not reassured by this statement, for the amount does not belong to the bank; perhaps it belongs to the Monetary Authority or to another person. The bank received it just as I received it. I ask you to inform me how to get rid of this amount in a proper way that clears my conscience and returns the right to its rightful owner. May Allah reward you with good.
A: You must return the money that exceeds your right to the bank that issued it to you by mistake. If you return it to them, your conscience is cleared of it, and it is not permissible for you to dispose of it in any way other than what we have mentioned. 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.