Is it permissible for a person to take from money given to him to distribute to the poor, if he himself is needy and indebted, and wishes to marry and complete the building of his house?

If a person is given money to distribute among the poor, and that person is himself poor, scholars have differed regarding the permissibility of him taking from it:

The majority of scholars are of the opinion that it is not permissible for him to take from it for himself or his children, because he is an agent tasked with distribution. If the owner of the money had intended to give it to him, he would have given it to him directly. Some scholars permitted it, arguing that the agent is among those who fit the description of a poor person entitled to the money.

Ahmad, Malik, and Al-Shafi'i explicitly stated prohibition, while Abu Thawr and the scholars of ra'y (juristic opinion) permitted it. Some scholars believe that the agent may take an amount equivalent to the share of one of the poor, while others hold that he may take all the money if he is poor.

The most prudent approach is to block the means (to sin) and prohibit the agent from taking for himself, as Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali said: "However, the most prudent approach is to block the means (to sin), because favoritism towards oneself is not safe from suspicion." Ibn Uthaymeen said: "It is imperative to absolutely prohibit the agent or guardian from spending the thing on himself or on any of his descendants... and the reason for this is suspicion." The Permanent Committee for Islamic Research and Fatawa has issued a fatwa (definition) prohibiting this, and obligated anyone who did so to return what they took.