What is the ruling on taking a portion of entrusted money to meet a need, and investing it in personal projects and real estate without the knowledge of the owner of the money, who has since passed away and has partners? Should the money be returned to the heirs, or to the poor and orphans, and at what value should it be returned? Is it obligatory to return the value of the profits from the projects and real estate? Is it permissible to pay the debt in installments? And is it possible to mortgage or write a will for the real estate to guarantee repayment in case of death?

It is obligatory to promptly return the funds to their owners or their heirs if they have passed away, because your ownership of them has not ceased due to the poor not having taken possession of them. It must be noted that you are liable for the funds that were traded with and resulted in a loss. As for those that yielded profit, including the land whose price included some of these funds and whose value increased, the more probable and safer course of action is to return all profits and increases to the owners of the money. If you do not know the owners of the funds, the safer course of action is to give the money to the heirs of your employer and inform them of what he told you. If they know the owners, they should return the funds to them; otherwise, they should give them away in charity.