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What is the ruling on a worker in an orphanage taking from the surplus food and clothing designated for the orphans?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is permissible for the guardian of an orphan's wealth to eat and drink from the orphan's food and consumable items in a reasonable manner, without extravagance, especially if the guardian is poor, as Allah Almighty says: "And whoever is rich, let him abstain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor, let him eat in a reasonable amount." It is preferable for the orphan's guardian to abstain from the orphan's wealth, especially if he receives a salary. If these items will spoil or perish over time, and the orphan has no need for them, then the guardian may benefit from them or dispose of them for someone who will benefit from them. The guardian of orphans' wealth must preserve it, develop it, and invest it, and it is not permissible for him to take from it except in a way that benefits the orphan.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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