What is the ruling on disposing of usurped possessions and items bought with donation money, as well as stolen things left by the husband? Is it permissible to destroy some of the usurped clothes if they are not suitable for charity? And how should one deal with stolen copies of the Qur'an and Islamic books?
Usurpation is forbidden, and whoever commits it must repent to Allah and return the usurped item to its owners. If the owner cannot be identified, then one should donate it as charity or spend it on matters beneficial to Muslims. Usurped belongings should be returned to their owners if known; otherwise, they should be given as charity on their behalf or their monetary value should be given as charity.
There is no harm in taking cooking utensils bought with donation money, with the permission of those in charge, if the husband is poor. It is not permissible to monopolize copies of the Qur'an designated for distribution; one copy is sufficient if the condition for distribution is met. If they are endowed for mosques, it is not permissible to take anything from them, and they must be distributed to the designated entity.
Books taken without right should be returned to their known owners by any possible means without informing them. Gifts that are strongly suspected of being stolen should be given as charity or their monetary value should be given as charity with the intention on behalf of their owner if he is not known. As for the clothes you ruined: if they could have been used in a permissible way, then their value should be estimated and given as charity, because it is a waste of money. If they could not have been used in a permissible way, then there is no blame on you for ruining them.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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