The company operates this deducted money, and the worker does not know how this money is used, and then the profit returns to the worker.

The questioner : The question is as follows: We are the company, and they have established a fund for us.

The Shaykh : First, what is the company?

The questioner : It is a petroleum refinery company. The company has established a fund called the Savings Fund. This contribution is, of course, deducted from the salary every month... by the amount, and the company puts in an equivalent amount. They operate this fund throughout the year. We do not know exactly how they operate it. They mention that some of it goes into stocks and some goes into loans to banks, like that. The profits come to us at the end of the year, 15/1. The profits come to us. There is a portion they call halal and a portion they call haram. The haram portion is three times the halal portion. We are forced, compelled to the deduction, and the operation of the money in their specific way, as we mentioned, with stocks and loans... These profits, we want to be sincere with you in our intention. I am one of the employees, so I distribute this amount and do not keep it. We asked the shaykhs, and they said you must hold onto this money and not go distribute it to a relative you know because you want to feed him; that is haram. So what do we do now? You go to one of the streets in Amman or Zarqa at night, on the condition that no one sees you, and you hide the money. Well, who will take it? Let us suppose that the one who comes and takes this money is a drug addict, a drunkard...

The Shaykh : In any case, may Allah bless you. We understood the question, and the answer comes after clarification. Does every employee in this company know what is deducted from his salary every month, or does he not know?

The questioner : No, he knows, because there is a ten percent deduction.

The Shaykh : Yes, and does he know how much is added by the company?

The questioner : Yes, an equivalent ten percent.

The Shaykh : An equivalent ten percent. For example, if a person’s monthly salary is one hundred dinars, he gets one hundred and twenty per month.

The questioner : Ten is deducted from his salary from the one hundred, and they also put in ten in return.

The Shaykh : So let us suppose that ten comes out of the one hundred for him?

The questioner : It does not come out for him, my sir...

The Shaykh : After they deducted it? I want to understand, because you want to repeat your words the whole time. Be patient. I want to understand now. Your words are clear, but I want to clarify. The employee who takes one hundred...

The questioner : Let us suppose he takes five hundred, a thousand, whatever. The important thing is the company puts in for him.

The Shaykh : My brother, you are done. Your turn to speak is over. It is my turn now. You are saying they deduct five from the salary, right?

The questioner : Ten.

The Shaykh : Ten or five?

The questioner : Ten.

The Shaykh : And they add ten from their side. If I am going to correct the example, this person has one hundred and ten monthly, okay. They deducted ten. How much is left? One hundred. They added ten to the ten. How much did it become?

The questioner : Twenty.

The Shaykh : Twenty. So at the end of the month, he will take one hundred and twenty in this way, right?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : But we understood from your words that they operate these twenty, and you do not know how they operate them. You elaborated in your speech. Now my answer to you: Suppose you are the man who has one hundred and ten. They deducted ten and added ten. At the end of the month, you get one hundred and twenty. But what did they give you? One hundred and forty. Where did this second twenty come from? You do not know, as you said, and I want to learn from you. Are you with me now or not, because you are working with paper? I understood from you, and it remains for you to understand from me, because the group is waiting and we need to pray, and we also need to leave. Now your salary is one hundred and ten. They deducted the ten and added ten. The total became twenty. So at the end of the month, you get one hundred and twenty. But in reality, they give you one hundred and thirty, one hundred and forty, and so on. This increase over the twenty in our example, you do not know where it came from, right?

The questioner : Yes, yes.

The Shaykh : I mean, I understand you up to here. My duty now is for you to understand me as I understood you. Okay... Let me tell you again. In our example, you take one hundred and twenty. If you get one hundred and thirty or forty or less, the excess over the one hundred and twenty, you take it. You do not throw it on the road as you were told. Rather, you spend it on public utilities. What are public utilities?
It means a matter that has benefit for the general Muslims, not for an individual Muslim, even if he is poor, for example. A place where there is no water, so you draw a water channel. A water channel for the neighbors, for the shop owners. The public benefits from it, not one person. A rough, muddy road where the municipality or the authority, as you say, does not come, and so on. So you pave it. You spend these monies that accumulate with you from this method on paving this land, for the sake of a woman, for the sake of a child, and so on, or a bridge. There are many, many examples that fall under the category of public utilities. There is no answer other than this. It is not permissible for you to take except what they deducted from your money from your salary, and what they added for you. As for what they profited from the operation, the ten and ten, it is not permissible for you to take it. If you took it, and you must take it, it is better than it remaining with them. You spend it on public utilities, and that is all. And peace be upon you.
Wafiq: A loan that brought benefit, do they consider it?

The Shaykh : This is not a loan, my brother. This is an obligation imposed on him.

The questioner : As for the ten that they paid and deducted from him, what is its ruling?

The Shaykh : If Allah gave you a salary and you are sitting, what do you say?

The questioner : The state deducted ten dinars from him and paid him ten dinars in return...

The Shaykh : I understand. If the state gave you a salary and you are sitting, what do you say?
Wafiq: I say, may Allah reward them with good.

The questioner : In contrast.

The Shaykh : Okay, if it is in return, is it better or without return? What is the return?

The questioner : The return is that they took ten dinars from him. Based on that, they gave him ten dinars.

The Shaykh : My brother, did he pay the ten?

The questioner : They deducted it from him.
Wafiq: They deduct it from him against his will, the first ten. So why does he accept the second ten?

The Shaykh : Because it is a grant from the state.
Wafiq: Why do they consider it a grant?

The Shaykh : ...

The questioner : ... The profit, part of it is halal and part of it is haram. So they give you a check for a small amount, this is called halal, and a check for the large profits, this is called haram.

The Shaykh : We have answered your question.

The questioner : We both distribute the halal and the haram.

The Shaykh : No, you do not distribute the halal and the haram. I mean, now this preference is an argument against you. The matter is clear.
Wafiq: In their opinion, it is halal. They are not people of expertise.

The Shaykh : In the opinion of the receivers.
Wafiq: They do not know, they ask. But the second ten, our shaykh.

The questioner : ... I have money for a person, sixty dinars. So is it permissible for me to consider it zakat from his wealth? So I came to Abu Layla, and he said to you, there is a man who wants to ask you a question, so you said, let the answer be after dinner. I became the one coming and struggling with myself... I said, by Allah, I will return to the shaykh.

The Shaykh : What is the picture of the story?
The story is when someone comes like a response to him.

The Shaykh : Okay, you say you took the answer. What do you want from me since you took the answer...?
Now the prayer has been established.The Shaykh : Al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) leads the worshippers in the prayer.