Is it permissible to take books confiscated by customs and official institutions after notifying the department, and what is the expiation if it is not permissible, especially given that there is no owner for these books?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Smuggling, if it does not result in harm, then people should not be prevented from selling their goods. Therefore, customs prohibition would be illegitimate. And assuming the prohibition is permissible, then the financial penalty should be for the general welfare of Muslims, not for individuals. Accordingly, what some institutions do by reviewing customs warehouses to withdraw some books for their own benefit is considered an injustice. Therefore, it is not permissible for you to take the books with the permission of your department.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/86373
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 86373
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy