Is it permissible to steal endowment books from a person who hid them so that no one could benefit from them?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : We return to the original of the issue, the amount, yes.
The questioner : Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings and His forgiveness.
The questioner : How is our Shaykh?
The Shaykh : I praise Allah to you. How are you? I hope you are well.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah. May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And may Allah bless you.
The questioner : And benefit us with your knowledge.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you.
The questioner : If you please, O Virtuous One,The Shaykh : in a question.
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The questioner : Regarding an imam of a mosque...
The Shaykh : Where?
The questioner : In Egypt. He collected books and placed them in a place, let us say in a sack, and said they were in his custody, and prevented people from benefiting from them, even though they contain tafsirs and beneficial books. Is it permissible to steal them?
The Shaykh : And he moves them to where?
The questioner : He moves them to a place far from hands and benefit.
The Shaykh : I heard you. What are you asking me?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I tell you what I say: he steals them, but where does he move them to? To his pocket? To his house?
The questioner : In the same place.
The Shaykh : How in the same place?
The questioner : In the mosque.
The Shaykh : So how do you ask: he steals them and he moves them to the mosque?
The questioner : Is it permissible for me to steal them from him and benefit from them?
The Shaykh : I am telling you: where does he steal them to and where does he put them?
The questioner : In a sack.
The Shaykh : There is no power nor strength except by Allah. And where does he carry the sack to?
The questioner : In the mosque, in the main mosque. They did not leave the main mosque, but he distanced them from the hands of the people who benefit from these books.
The Shaykh : My brother, where did he put them? May Allah guide you.
The questioner : He put them in his house.
The Shaykh : This is what I am telling you.
The questioner : He put them in his house.
The Shaykh : Why did he put them in his house?
The questioner : As a trust upon him.
The Shaykh : Do you mean that the visitors of the mosque do not benefit from these books?
The questioner : Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : Okay, is there not another mosque where they can benefit from them?
The questioner : Yes, there is another mosque where they can benefit from them.
The Shaykh : Is there or is there not?
The questioner : There is.
The Shaykh : So stealing is forbidden, as is the original ruling, clear?
The questioner : It is clear.
The Shaykh : Okay, do you have anything else?
The questioner : Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings and His forgiveness.
The questioner : How is our Shaykh?
The Shaykh : I praise Allah to you. How are you? I hope you are well.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah. May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : And may Allah bless you.
The questioner : And benefit us with your knowledge.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you.
The questioner : If you please, O Virtuous One,The Shaykh : in a question.
The Shaykh : Please go ahead.
The questioner : Regarding an imam of a mosque...
The Shaykh : Where?
The questioner : In Egypt. He collected books and placed them in a place, let us say in a sack, and said they were in his custody, and prevented people from benefiting from them, even though they contain tafsirs and beneficial books. Is it permissible to steal them?
The Shaykh : And he moves them to where?
The questioner : He moves them to a place far from hands and benefit.
The Shaykh : I heard you. What are you asking me?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I tell you what I say: he steals them, but where does he move them to? To his pocket? To his house?
The questioner : In the same place.
The Shaykh : How in the same place?
The questioner : In the mosque.
The Shaykh : So how do you ask: he steals them and he moves them to the mosque?
The questioner : Is it permissible for me to steal them from him and benefit from them?
The Shaykh : I am telling you: where does he steal them to and where does he put them?
The questioner : In a sack.
The Shaykh : There is no power nor strength except by Allah. And where does he carry the sack to?
The questioner : In the mosque, in the main mosque. They did not leave the main mosque, but he distanced them from the hands of the people who benefit from these books.
The Shaykh : My brother, where did he put them? May Allah guide you.
The questioner : He put them in his house.
The Shaykh : This is what I am telling you.
The questioner : He put them in his house.
The Shaykh : Why did he put them in his house?
The questioner : As a trust upon him.
The Shaykh : Do you mean that the visitors of the mosque do not benefit from these books?
The questioner : Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : Okay, is there not another mosque where they can benefit from them?
The questioner : Yes, there is another mosque where they can benefit from them.
The Shaykh : Is there or is there not?
The questioner : There is.
The Shaykh : So stealing is forbidden, as is the original ruling, clear?
The questioner : It is clear.
The Shaykh : Okay, do you have anything else?
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.