The rector’s liability for a shortfall in the madrasa’s money

Question

Question: A certain man, very pious and respected but blind, was for a long time the rector of an Arabic madrasa, and whatever money the madrasa had — donations and the like — was also kept with him. Because of his blindness the rector did not keep the accounts of the money’s income and expenditure; rather, the madrasa’s employees or other members of the madrasa’s board wrote them. For some time another man was made rector, but the money was kept in the custody of this former blind rector.

Answer

In the case asked about, according to the questioner’s account, since the blind rector protected the madrasa’s (money) like his own money and committed no breach of trust (khiyana) of any kind, liability (daman) for the lost money is not upon the rector — provided that the people through whom he had the money taken out and put in were also trustworthy (amin)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.