['Aalim Network QR] Use of Office Stationery, etc

[Maqbul Rahim <100530.1344@compuserve.com>]

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|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
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Salaamun ' Alaykum

Please find below  questions on the use of office stationery to which the
answers were kindly provided by Ma'alim Hasnain Kassamali.

Jazakallah

With Duas and Salaams

Maqbul Rahim
Acting Moderator for ABDG-A
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.

QUESTIONS:

Q1. Is it permissible for me to obtain for personal use the stationery of my
firm where I work, without asking for explicit permission? Am I justified in
doing so for the following reasons:

a) The use is 'reasonable' not 'excessive'. These terms clearly are
relative, but what I mean is that if my employers were to know of my usage
then in my opinion they will not sack me and neither will they ask me not to
make use of the stationery;
b) I am sure that I work more than the strict seven hours a day in my
contract without charging overtimes on every occasion. In that sense my
employers 'owe' me a compensation. Therefore, a little give and take should
not be problematic.
c) It would appear silly to ask if I could use stationary for personal work
and in the light of a) and b) above I don't ask.

However, I have been told that without getting explicit permission I am not
allowed Islamically to use any stationary or facility of my employers' for
my personal use. In the light of my comments above, would that still hold?
Q2. Would the answer to the above  be any different if the use was not
restricted to myself but also to my wife who is not an employee of the firm?

ANSWERS:

In His name, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Making a clear decision is understably difficult. I forward the following
points, which I hope, will answer your question.

a) A thing belonging to another person, if used with full knowledge that
he/she would not mind, is not considered Ghasbi (usurped). In your case if
you are confident that your employer will take no objection to your using
the stationery or other facilities then it is permissible (jaez) for you to
use them.

b)However "silly" it may appear, it is higly advisable, nay, a necessity in
most cases, to seek permission from the owner of a thing before using it.
The hadith which comes to mind in this case is what has been attributed to
Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (a). He said, "Return of a usurped dirham to its owner
is better with Allah than seventy Hajj which are accepted." (Dastghayb,
al-Dhunoob al-Kabeerah, vol. 1, p.10, Qum, 1404).
Why would then a wise person take chances of using somebody's things where
there are possibilites that the owner may not appove of it? In your case,
the best thing would be to seek permission once, for all future use, which
will free you from responsibility. 

God knows the Best.


Hasnain Kassamali
Humble servant of the Ahlul Bayt (a).
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