Taking slippers of the musjid home

Q: I once lost a pair of slippers in the musjid and the khadim bhai gave me a pair from in front of the bathroom to wear. His intention was that I should wear them home and then return with them to put them back. However, I ignorantly started to wear them as my own. A couple of years passed and by the taufeeq of Allah Azza Wa Jal, I realized that they were not mine to keep and amends had to be made.

The slippers are still with me but they are torn and very battered. The underside is completely smoothed out so they are a hazard to wear now. I did take a pair of my own slippers and gave them to the musjid's bathrooms as compensation. But I did not think that it was sufficient. I bought a new pair of slippers with the intention of giving them to the musjid as well but they are still in my possession. Should I give some money to the musjid's donation box to make it even?

A: It was not permissible for you to take the slippers home and use it. You should make sincere taubah for this. If the slippers you gave the musjid was equal to or more in value than the slippers you took from the musjid, then you do not have to give anything extra in compensation. However, if the slippers you gave to the musjid was less in value, then you should pay the difference in wealth to the musjid.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

 

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)