If a person destroys something that is an endowment, is he liable for it, or is repentance sufficient for him?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : If a person destroys something that is an endowment for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), is he obligated to compensate for it, or is repentance sufficient for him, since the rights of Allah are based on forgiveness?
The Shaykh : He says: If a person destroys something that is an endowment for Allah, is he obligated to compensate for it? The answer is yes, he is obligated to compensate for it. For example, if there is a vessel that is an endowment for people to benefit from, or if there is a water tank in a mosque for people to benefit from, and a person comes and destroys it, then he is liable for compensation without a doubt. He is also sinful, and he must repent to Allah for what he did. He must compensate for the item with its like if it is a commodity measured by weight or volume, and with its value if it is a commodity valued by price.
The Shaykh : He says: If a person destroys something that is an endowment for Allah, is he obligated to compensate for it? The answer is yes, he is obligated to compensate for it. For example, if there is a vessel that is an endowment for people to benefit from, or if there is a water tank in a mosque for people to benefit from, and a person comes and destroys it, then he is liable for compensation without a doubt. He is also sinful, and he must repent to Allah for what he did. He must compensate for the item with its like if it is a commodity measured by weight or volume, and with its value if it is a commodity valued by price.