If the Rector Does Not Spend Zakat on Its Proper Channel, May an Employee Spend It on His Own?

Question

Zayd and Bakr are both graduates of Deoband. Zayd is the administrator of an Arabic madrasa. Outwardly this madrasa has everything: a president, a rector and members. But the people have entrusted all the work of the madrasa to Zayd, and he is master of everything. Zakat, sadaqa and donations come into the madrasa, and money also comes into the madrasa’s mosque in the name of the mosque. Zayd keeps all these sums with the president of the madrasa, the rector and some members.

Answer

Bakr is an employee; he has no right to dispose of anything beyond the authority he has been given, however good his intentions may be. If every employee began to act in this way like Bakr, how would anyone be stopped, and how could each person be trusted? Therefore Bakr should not do this. Zayd’s conduct, however, is in need of reform.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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