The obligation to give usurious money in charity if its owner is unknown
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Question: Your Eminence, the Grand Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Shaykh/Abd al-Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz (may Allah preserve him).
Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, and after that:
Your Eminence: I previously sent you a message in the blessed month of Ramadan, which included a question about a sum of money amounting to (500) riyals. My father (may Allah have mercy on him) had taken this from one of his friends in the form of riba (usury or interest). Your Eminence’s answer was that it is obligatory to return this amount to its owner. However, I have been unable to return it to its owner. Is it permissible for me to give this amount in charity to the poor; for example, by placing it in one of the donation boxes, or by paying it to one of my needy relatives? Please inform me of this, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer: And upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, after that:
It is obligatory for you to give the five hundred (500) riyals to some of the poor, if you do not know its owner, nor his address, nor anyone who knows him.
Grand Mufti of the Kingdom
Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz
Peace be upon you, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, and after that:
Your Eminence: I previously sent you a message in the blessed month of Ramadan, which included a question about a sum of money amounting to (500) riyals. My father (may Allah have mercy on him) had taken this from one of his friends in the form of riba (usury or interest). Your Eminence’s answer was that it is obligatory to return this amount to its owner. However, I have been unable to return it to its owner. Is it permissible for me to give this amount in charity to the poor; for example, by placing it in one of the donation boxes, or by paying it to one of my needy relatives? Please inform me of this, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer: And upon you be peace, and Allah’s mercy and blessings, after that:
It is obligatory for you to give the five hundred (500) riyals to some of the poor, if you do not know its owner, nor his address, nor anyone who knows him.
Grand Mufti of the Kingdom
Abdul Aziz ibn Abdullah ibn Baz
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.