What is the ruling on the money taken at the Saudi borders, which is called al-Zamzam?

The questioner : As you know, there is a place there where they say, "Pay four hundred and forty-four riyals." They call this al-Zamzam or the fee for the pilgrim guides. May Allah know best. I do not know what they take from them. This Saudi government imposes this thing, so some of the brothers go and cheat at the borders and do not pay this thing. They cheat in a way and go without paying this thing, and then they recover it here in Jordan. Is this permissible?

The Shaykh : What is this in exchange for?

The questioner : To take this al-Zamzam?

The questioner : The other: The fee for the pilgrim guides.

The questioner : They take four hundred and forty-four riyals here at the embassy.

The Shaykh : Okay, I say, what is it in exchange for?

The questioner : The other: In exchange for nothing, hehe.

The Shaykh : If it is in exchange for nothing, then it is nothing!
The students: Hehe.

The questioner : The other: It is in exchange for nothing!

The questioner : This, O Shaykh, they take it for al-Zamzam. Long ago, the Zamzamiyyin used to give people water, and people would give them something, each person giving his share. Then this practice disappeared, and they organized it!

The questioner : The other: Al-Zamzam...
The students: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.

The questioner : ...

The Shaykh : And now there is no giving of water!

The questioner : There is no giving of water; they give them compensation because they have work.

The questioner : The other: This is a system they have, because this pilgrimage guiding is not called a system of pilgrimage guiding with them.

The Shaykh : Pilgrimage guiding.

The questioner : The other: Pilgrimage guiding. This pilgrimage guiding was inherited by the sons from the fathers, and the fathers from the grandfathers, and so it remained in their lineage. So it is an inherited thing, meaning this. And therefore, when there is more than one son and daughter, this estate is distributed, so the daughter also becomes a pilgrim guide and takes her share of the pilgrimage guiding, just as the son takes his!

The Shaykh : Strange!

The questioner : The other: Yes, yes. And therefore, this is what they take. It is a matter of custom, meaning a system established by the state for these people. For example, the ministry there or the government divides the pilgrims among the pilgrim guides. This one will get a thousand, this one two thousand, according to their capacity.

The Shaykh : Yes, that is correct.

The questioner : The other: So when the government collects this money from the pilgrims, it deposits it in the banks, and then it is the one that distributes these moneys, each according to his share or portion. So each one takes his share from the pilgrims he took without any right, except that it is a matter of custom that people agreed upon and it became an acquired right, even if the pilgrim guide did not perform any of the rights for this pilgrim at all. And the truth is that now there is no service at all, that is the most of it!

The Shaykh : Since even the women, as you mentioned, take from this!

The questioner : The other: Yes, yes. Even the women take it. And therefore, the one who accompanies the pilgrim now, in the past, used to host the pilgrim, care for him, lodge him in his house, guide him, and walk with him in the rituals!

The Shaykh : Service, meaning!

The questioner : The other: Service, exactly. So he used to take it lawfully and honestly. But now he does not take anything lawful from it.

The questioner : And al-Zamzam, no problem.

The questioner : The other: Likewise, al-Zamzam, al-Zamzam is the same thing!

The questioner : Meaning it is permissible for one...

The Shaykh : Okay, what about those who sprinkle Zamzam water and transport it? What are these containers called?

The questioner : The other: Jerrycans.

The Shaykh : Are they employees of the state?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh : If.

The questioner : The other: No, no, no.

The questioner : They are a private company.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : A private company.

The Shaykh : A private company, meaning they take.

The questioner : The other: Yes, they take a fee.

The Shaykh : So if the matter is like this, taking from the perspective of consuming people's wealth without right without compensation, then if that is the case, this is the place for the warning and the reminder.
The students: Hehehehe.