Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Al Salam Alaikum wa Rahmathullahi wa Barakatuhu,

We would like to get the answer to our below question:

Al Hamdulillah, we are maintaining a Masjid in our locality.   We have collected some fund for it's expenses.  One of us requested a favour to get this money because of his extreme financial crisis and he promised to pay the money back by instalments.

Is it permissible to use the Masjid fund like this situation as per Quran and Sunnah.

Awaiting your clarification.

Jazak Allah Khairan

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Give collected masjid fund as loan

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

If the believers who contributed to this collection of funds gave the funds for the maintenance and expenses of the masjid, it would not be at all appropriate for the one who is given the responsibility to distribute the funds to spend it on anything else except for the maintenance and expenses of the masjid, except with the permission of each and every one of the believers who contributed to that fund.

To collect the funds from the believers for the maintenance and expenses of the majsid, and then spend them on something else, or give them as a loan to a needy person would be to absolutely betray the trust of the believers who gave the funds for the masjid!

If one is needy, or finds oneself or another believer faced with a severe financial crisis, one is well within their rights to approach another believer who could help this distressed brother…..but it would not be appropriate at all that the funds which were collected for a specific purpose be spent on anything other than that specified purpose.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan