I have a friend who was elected into a political office. Before he was elected he was well known for his uprightness and integrity. Now, his new office is filled with corruption in the form of looting of government funds. He told me that when the allocation from the central government comes, the chairman of the local government will call them and give them a large amount for their upkeep. But they still receive their monthly salary and allowance.
He is well aware that the allocation was for the development of the local government, but he is forced to take it since almost all the elected officers are collecting it. The first time he rejected the money, he received a threat that he would be impeached or violently attacked. This is because his colleagues are scared that he might reveal the corruption that is going on in the local government.
My friend decided to set up a foundation that gives scholarships and builds schools. With the illegal funds, he usually receives every month, he has been able to finance the education of many poor students in his ward and has also built and refurbished a few schools.
He knows that those funds he receives are illegal but he vowed not to use them for his personal needs. What is your opinion on this matter?
My opinion in this accept is good to collect it from them whenever he is been given the money, without having any fear or doubt, but if only his clear within himself that the allocated money given to him is not going to use it for his personal gain, and whenever his call upon by the law he can account for it, because whenever they give him and he alone refuses to collect they can turn everything against him and will all see him as a spy among there midst. By the way his using the money for a good deeds but from a bad source, there is a Qur'anic verse that stated taking from public funds without a rightful claim is one of the gravest prohibitions, as it constitutes a form of misappropriation.