What is the ruling on a man who works as a pharmacist in the army, whose duty is to dispense medication to a specific category of the army, and who is held accountable for any surplus or deficit in the dispensing of medication?
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The questioner : ... regarding a man in the military medical services who works as a pharmacist. This is his job. They restrict him regarding medications that are forbidden to be dispensed except to certain people, meaning officers or people of high status in society.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The questioner : As for some of the army personnel and civilians like us, it is forbidden to dispense them. Sometimes he has a surplus beyond the limit in quantity. If there is a surplus or deficit, naturally, they hold him accountable for it, so he is forced to either take it, distribute it to people, or take it home with him. Is this permissible from this perspective?
The Shaykh : How? I am confused by what you said at the end about them holding him accountable for it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Does he mean he reduces it so that they hold him accountable, or what does he do?
The questioner : They hold him accountable for the deficit or the surplus, meaning this quantity must be dispensed.
The Shaykh : How do they hold him accountable for the surplus?
The questioner : If the quantity increases, for example... he dispenses this prescription to an officer, so the number for the officer is reduced and the number with him increases, so they hold him accountable for it: why did the number increase? Also... also if he takes a quantity or reduces the quantity from his stock, whether by number due to forgetfulness or if he took it and dispensed it to other people, they also hold him accountable for it.
The Shaykh : There are two issues here.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The first issue is that the order comes to dispense a prescription to an officer, for example, as you say, so he dispenses it with a deficit, is that right?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : I ask a question: do I understand from you that he dispenses it deficiently, meaning, for example, if they prescribed twenty pills or two bottles for him, instead of twenty he gives ten, and instead of two bottles he gives one bottle? Why does he do this? Why does he not execute the order, when there is no sin in it naturally?
The questioner : He tries his best, what? Meaning he dispenses according to the prescription only, but with the people and the crowd or something, or there is an error in the number, so the number decreases or increases for him.
The Shaykh : No, this means he is a man who does not commit to performing his duty. Therefore, he gives to people he was not tasked to give to, so the material decreases. So, in order not to be held accountable for the deficit, he reduces it from those who were given the full proportion. So he reduces from it. This is undoubtedly not permissible. The second issue is that he gives to people he is not tasked to give to, such as civilians, while he is tasked to give to the military. This undoubtedly exposes him to problems and violations, along with his neglect of his duty. Please proceed.
The questioner : The truth is, the hospital gives him, for example, a specific quantity. This quantity may increase, meaning this surplus is from the hospital and not from him. Meaning, he may not increase...
The Shaykh : I did not mean from him, but notice, he says a prescription comes... twenty pills, he gives ten. Where did the other ten go?
The questioner : Sometimes it comes from the warehouse with extra quantities by mistake, meaning the brother who experienced this told us so.
The Shaykh : But now he said...
The questioner : I understood the intent because I know this happens with some of the brothers who work in the pharmacy. Sometimes the number decreases from their side, not from his, and they hold him accountable for it as if...
The Shaykh : That is not the issue. The issue was in his first question: is it permissible for him to give to civilians or not? Is this correct or not?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Or is there a reconsideration here?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Also, I understood from him that twenty pills come for an officer, so he gives ten. Did I say this or not?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Okay, so what do you say? We are addressing these two points. As for the fact that sometimes there is a surplus and sometimes a deficit, that is a separate matter. So I said regarding the prescription that is supposed to have twenty pills, it is not permissible for him to give ten and save ten. And I think this is one of the reasons he is able to give to civilians, because he will have a surplus in the end. To whom does he give them? It is not permissible for him to have a surplus; he must dispense it. So, does he give to the civilians whom he is not tasked to give to? I see, especially those who return to the previous discussion, who permit entering societies and centers where they know they are violating the Shari'ah. Naturally, this is within the limits of choice, but as for compulsion, we have no say in it. These people must commit to the fullest extent to executing orders, whether military or otherwise, as long as they do not violate the Shari'ah. So if he is told to dispense these medications to the officers, that means he does not dispense to the soldiers. And if he is told to dispense these medications to all the military, he does not dispense to the civilians, because there is no sin in it. He is forced to violate the system in this regard. This is my answer. Yes.
The questioner : Clarification on this question.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Meaning, for example, in the army, they say give this medication to the officers.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And a soldier, meaning a Muslim, comes writhing in pain, needing this type, for example, and the officer has the ability to buy it and the like, and the soldier takes about three or four pounds. So in this case, if he gives it to him, it is considered a violation.
The Shaykh : This requires you to assume that this employee... in his time, can assess necessities properly. "Necessities permit the prohibited." Some of these... from jurisprudence, to weigh with the straight balance. And I say when there is a necessity, it is permissible, otherwise not. But do you think that these employees, however committed they are to the rulings of religion, have the jurisprudence to say: "Necessities permit the prohibited" and its counterpart "Necessity is assessed according to its degree"? I do not think so. Yes, whoever wants to speak.
Yes.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The questioner : As for some of the army personnel and civilians like us, it is forbidden to dispense them. Sometimes he has a surplus beyond the limit in quantity. If there is a surplus or deficit, naturally, they hold him accountable for it, so he is forced to either take it, distribute it to people, or take it home with him. Is this permissible from this perspective?
The Shaykh : How? I am confused by what you said at the end about them holding him accountable for it.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Does he mean he reduces it so that they hold him accountable, or what does he do?
The questioner : They hold him accountable for the deficit or the surplus, meaning this quantity must be dispensed.
The Shaykh : How do they hold him accountable for the surplus?
The questioner : If the quantity increases, for example... he dispenses this prescription to an officer, so the number for the officer is reduced and the number with him increases, so they hold him accountable for it: why did the number increase? Also... also if he takes a quantity or reduces the quantity from his stock, whether by number due to forgetfulness or if he took it and dispensed it to other people, they also hold him accountable for it.
The Shaykh : There are two issues here.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The first issue is that the order comes to dispense a prescription to an officer, for example, as you say, so he dispenses it with a deficit, is that right?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : I ask a question: do I understand from you that he dispenses it deficiently, meaning, for example, if they prescribed twenty pills or two bottles for him, instead of twenty he gives ten, and instead of two bottles he gives one bottle? Why does he do this? Why does he not execute the order, when there is no sin in it naturally?
The questioner : He tries his best, what? Meaning he dispenses according to the prescription only, but with the people and the crowd or something, or there is an error in the number, so the number decreases or increases for him.
The Shaykh : No, this means he is a man who does not commit to performing his duty. Therefore, he gives to people he was not tasked to give to, so the material decreases. So, in order not to be held accountable for the deficit, he reduces it from those who were given the full proportion. So he reduces from it. This is undoubtedly not permissible. The second issue is that he gives to people he is not tasked to give to, such as civilians, while he is tasked to give to the military. This undoubtedly exposes him to problems and violations, along with his neglect of his duty. Please proceed.
The questioner : The truth is, the hospital gives him, for example, a specific quantity. This quantity may increase, meaning this surplus is from the hospital and not from him. Meaning, he may not increase...
The Shaykh : I did not mean from him, but notice, he says a prescription comes... twenty pills, he gives ten. Where did the other ten go?
The questioner : Sometimes it comes from the warehouse with extra quantities by mistake, meaning the brother who experienced this told us so.
The Shaykh : But now he said...
The questioner : I understood the intent because I know this happens with some of the brothers who work in the pharmacy. Sometimes the number decreases from their side, not from his, and they hold him accountable for it as if...
The Shaykh : That is not the issue. The issue was in his first question: is it permissible for him to give to civilians or not? Is this correct or not?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Or is there a reconsideration here?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Also, I understood from him that twenty pills come for an officer, so he gives ten. Did I say this or not?
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Okay, so what do you say? We are addressing these two points. As for the fact that sometimes there is a surplus and sometimes a deficit, that is a separate matter. So I said regarding the prescription that is supposed to have twenty pills, it is not permissible for him to give ten and save ten. And I think this is one of the reasons he is able to give to civilians, because he will have a surplus in the end. To whom does he give them? It is not permissible for him to have a surplus; he must dispense it. So, does he give to the civilians whom he is not tasked to give to? I see, especially those who return to the previous discussion, who permit entering societies and centers where they know they are violating the Shari'ah. Naturally, this is within the limits of choice, but as for compulsion, we have no say in it. These people must commit to the fullest extent to executing orders, whether military or otherwise, as long as they do not violate the Shari'ah. So if he is told to dispense these medications to the officers, that means he does not dispense to the soldiers. And if he is told to dispense these medications to all the military, he does not dispense to the civilians, because there is no sin in it. He is forced to violate the system in this regard. This is my answer. Yes.
The questioner : Clarification on this question.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Meaning, for example, in the army, they say give this medication to the officers.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : And a soldier, meaning a Muslim, comes writhing in pain, needing this type, for example, and the officer has the ability to buy it and the like, and the soldier takes about three or four pounds. So in this case, if he gives it to him, it is considered a violation.
The Shaykh : This requires you to assume that this employee... in his time, can assess necessities properly. "Necessities permit the prohibited." Some of these... from jurisprudence, to weigh with the straight balance. And I say when there is a necessity, it is permissible, otherwise not. But do you think that these employees, however committed they are to the rulings of religion, have the jurisprudence to say: "Necessities permit the prohibited" and its counterpart "Necessity is assessed according to its degree"? I do not think so. Yes, whoever wants to speak.
Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.