Basic HTML Version
195
it holds responsibility for collection of taxes and invest-
ment in facilities and natural resources and so on, where
this money is employed within legitimate channels and the
expenditure or use of this money is prohibited unless spent
within the scope of the public interest.
Alternatively, Islam had sought the insurance and pres-
ervation of public money from the corrupters and greedy
people. Moreover, the Prophet and his companions were
keen to protect this money uninterested in it. The evidence
on that is when Prophet Mohammad was informed that his
daughter Fatima was wearing a necklace from the treasury
(Bayt al-Mal), he burst in anger and when he knew that she
took it from the treasury (Bayt al-Mal) as a borrowing that
will be returned, then he felt relieved and said that If Fatima
has stolen, he would have cut off her hand. In the same con-
text, he says (PBUH) that your parents before you used to
release strong people if they steel and only pass judgment
on poor people.
History books and biographies are rich in stories in the
course of defending and protecting public money by the
first companions of the Prophet , such as Abu Bakr Sid-
dique (May Allah be Pleased with him) who used to buy
slaves from his own money and then set them free without
spending any of the Muslim funds as well as Caliph Umar
Ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) who was