Is it permissible to compensate for a financial deficit deducted from one's monthly salary from surplus financial collections without the knowledge of the official, and if not permissible, is it permissible to purchase equipment for the institution with the money taken instead of returning it?

The questioner is a private employee whose hand is that of a trustee. He is not liable unless there is transgression or negligence. It is not permissible for him to take the surplus funds for himself; rather, he must return them to the institution.

If the deficit in the collected funds is due to his negligence or dereliction of duty, then he is liable for it, and it is permissible to deduct it from his salary. If it is not due to transgression or negligence, then it is not permissible to hold him liable, and deducting it from his salary is an injustice. If he is wronged and finds no way to remove the injustice except by taking the amount of his grievance from the financial surplus without his manager's knowledge, then there is no blame upon him.

However, if the questioner took from the surplus funds what is forbidden for him, he must return it to the institution, even if indirectly. It is not sufficient for him to purchase something for the institution as a substitute for returning the money; rather, the exact money must be returned to the institution.