Date : 14-02-2012

Question :

There is an orphans` society that owns a medical centre and a school. Services of both facilities are offered to orphans for free; whereas, others pay for them. Their revenues constitute around (80%) of the total income of that society. As for aid and allowances, they are given only to orphans and their families. Is it permissible for the society to do the following: 1- Offer free of charge educational services, programs and activities to other members of society. 2- Offer courses and lectures as well as host meetings with individuals who make contributions to the society which benefits from their services, and consequently achieves its goals and benefits the orphans indirectly. It is worth mentioning that the society pays for these two objectives from the revenues of its school and medical centre, not from the orphans allowances or donations made to them.

The Answer :

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of The Worlds, and may His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.



Islam has prohibited eating up orphans property unjustly since Allah, The Almighty, Said (What means): "Those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, eat up a Fire into their own bodies: They will soon be enduring a Blazing Fire!" {An-Nisa`/10}. Muslim scholars have regarded such an act as one of the grave sins as it reflects injustice and betrayal of trust.



Moreover, if the school and the medical centre were established from the money of the orphans or the donations made to them then it is unlawful for the society to donate their income or spend it in favor of other parties since the profits of the school and the medical centre emanate from the orphans` money. Therefore, it should be spent on them. In addition, if the internal regulations address the orphans in particular then they must be adhered to.



As for matters that indirectly benefit the orphans, they are for their own good, eventually, and all of this can be figured out by reviewing the internal regulations of the society and its objectives. However, if the school and the medical centre were established from donations other than those made to the orphans then there is no harm that the society dispose of the revenues of these facilities as it sees fit provided that donors were informed about that. And Allah Knows Best.