Money lost by the muezzin — who is liable? And spending madrasa money on flower garlands

Question

Question: A man came to our village from Africa, and the board members of the mosque and the madrasa held a gathering. To show him hospitality, the mutawalli (trustee) gave the madrasa’s muezzin one hundred rupees to buy a flower garland and other things; the muezzin lost that money. Now whose responsibility is this money — should the respected muezzin pay it or the respected mutawalli?

Answer

If the money was lost by the muezzin despite full safekeeping, liability (daman) is not binding on the muezzin; rather, it is lost to those whose money it was. However, it is not permissible to spend the money of the mosque or the madrasa on flower garlands, and doing so makes liability binding.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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