Ruling on distributing a cassette and a book to every family each month through cooperative subscription fees
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The honorable Shaykh! I have a project in one of the villages, which consists of distributing a cassette and a book to every family each month, on the condition of a subscription fee of fifty riyals. We utilize this money for the competition through this distribution to the homes. Is that permissible? And if there is a surplus of cassettes and books, where should it be spent?
If the intention behind this operation is exchange, meaning that we take fifty riyals from each person who receives these booklets every month by way of exchange, then it is not permissible; because the consideration is unknown; for the one who hands over the money does not know what will come to him from these booklets and these cassettes.
And if it is by way of cooperation, and they have established a fund into which they collect fifty riyals each month, and then booklets and beneficial cassettes are purchased from this sum and distributed to the people, then there is nothing wrong with that,And based on this, we say: As for the surplus you asked about; if something remains after the distribution, then the contributors to this should be consulted regarding where it should be spent? If they entrust the matter to the person in charge of this fund to spend it in whatever he sees to be in the public interest, then let him spend the surplus on that.
If the intention behind this operation is exchange, meaning that we take fifty riyals from each person who receives these booklets every month by way of exchange, then it is not permissible; because the consideration is unknown; for the one who hands over the money does not know what will come to him from these booklets and these cassettes.
And if it is by way of cooperation, and they have established a fund into which they collect fifty riyals each month, and then booklets and beneficial cassettes are purchased from this sum and distributed to the people, then there is nothing wrong with that,And based on this, we say: As for the surplus you asked about; if something remains after the distribution, then the contributors to this should be consulted regarding where it should be spent? If they entrust the matter to the person in charge of this fund to spend it in whatever he sees to be in the public interest, then let him spend the surplus on that.