What is the ruling on using state vehicles for personal purposes, even if the president approves?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : May the Shaykh tell us, what is the ruling on using state vehicles for personal purposes?
The Shaykh : Using state vehicles and other state-owned tools, such as cameras, printing machines, and the like, is not permissible for private personal purposes. This is because these items are for public interests. If a person uses them for his private needs, he commits a transgression against the general public, for he has appropriated something for himself to the exclusion of others. The common property of the Muslims in general is not for any one person to appropriate for himself.
The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade ghalul, which is for a person to appropriate for himself anything from the war spoils, because this is common property.
It is obligatory for one who sees a person using government tools or government vehicles for his personal purposes to advise him and explain to him that this is forbidden. If Allah the Exalted guides him, that is what is required. If not, let him report him, for this falls under the category of cooperating in righteousness and piety.
It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Yes.
The questioner : If his boss is satisfied with this, is there any harm?
The Shaykh : Even if the president approves of this, the president does not own this thing. He himself does not own this thing, so how can he have the authority to permit others to use it?
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : May the Shaykh tell us, what is the ruling on using state vehicles for personal purposes?
The Shaykh : Using state vehicles and other state-owned tools, such as cameras, printing machines, and the like, is not permissible for private personal purposes. This is because these items are for public interests. If a person uses them for his private needs, he commits a transgression against the general public, for he has appropriated something for himself to the exclusion of others. The common property of the Muslims in general is not for any one person to appropriate for himself.
The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade ghalul, which is for a person to appropriate for himself anything from the war spoils, because this is common property.
It is obligatory for one who sees a person using government tools or government vehicles for his personal purposes to advise him and explain to him that this is forbidden. If Allah the Exalted guides him, that is what is required. If not, let him report him, for this falls under the category of cooperating in righteousness and piety.
It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
Help your brother, whether he is wrongdoer or wronged. They said: O Messenger of Allah, how do we help the wronged one? We know that, but how do we help the wrongdoer? He said: You prevent him from wrongdoing, and that is how you help him. Or: That is how you help him.
انصر أخاك ظالما أو مظلوما . قالوا : يا رسول الله هذا المظلوم فكيف الظالم ؟ قال : تمنعه من الظلم فذلك نصرك إياه أو فذلك نصرهThe questioner : If his boss is satisfied with this, is there any harm?
The Shaykh : Even if the president approves of this, the president does not own this thing. He himself does not own this thing, so how can he have the authority to permit others to use it?