A Trustee Invested Money Collected for the Eidgah in Business

Question

Zahid Ali collected donations of four thousand rupees for the Eidgah (the open ground for the Eid prayer). This money was still with him when he invested it in business. Some of the work on the Eidgah had begun: some of it stopped, some of it was done. Now people told him, “Give an account,” but he did not give an account. What is the ruling of the Shariʿa in such a case now, and what about boycotting him? If he does not have the money on hand right now, what is the ruling?

Answer

The money that was collected as donations for the Eidgah and handed over to one person was a trust (amana), and that person was a trustee (amin). It was not permissible for him to put that money into business; this is a breach of trust (khiyana), and by doing so that person became one who has betrayed the trust (khaʾin).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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