Is is permissible to give Zakah to someone in the form of food vouchers instead of cash?

Q: Is is permissible to give Zakah to someone in the form of food vouchers instead of cash?   الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومنه الصدق والصواب A: It is permissible to give food vouchers instead of cash.  However, the Zakah will only be discharged once the recipient receives the food.  A food voucher is an assignment of debt […]

Read more...

Can we deduct the deposit due (e.g. for purchase of a house) and stamp duty from zakat calculation?

Q: 1. Before the start of Ramadhan, we agreed on the purchase of a house from Al-Rayan Bank. The property price has already been agreed and the solicitors are already involved with paperwork Insha’Allah to go through soon. I have money in my bank account but of course I am also liable to pay to the […]

Read more...

Is is permissible to give Zakāt to pay off ones debts by giving the Zakāt to the creditor directly with the permission of the Zakah recipient?

Q: Is is permissible to give Zakah to pay off ones debts by giving the Zakah to the creditor directly with the permission of the Zakah recipient?   الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومنه الصدق والصواب A: It is sufficient for the discharge of Zakah to give the Zakah directly to the creditor of an eligible recipient if it […]

Read more...

What do we do if the nisab rate fluctuates before our zakat anniversary date?

Q: A year ago, I passed the nisab and I took note of the date and nisab amount. Before my zakah due date, I fell below that recorded nisab, but by then the current nisab had also fallen below what I possesed (so I have less than the nisab of the very first day I became […]

Read more...

Is a mentally disabled person exempt from paying zakat?

Q: I have a query regarding whether my mother has to pay zakah on her wealth. My mother has been diagnosed with vascular dementia and the assessments by mental health professionals have concluded that she lacks mental capacity to manage her personal and financial affairs. I have applied and have been successful in being granted the […]

Read more...

Can student loans be taken off as a liability for zakah purposes?

Q: Can student loans be taken off as a liability for zakāh purposes?  Is a Student Loan added to ones zakāh liability section as a whole in every zakāh year until it is paid off unlike most deferred payment loans such as mortgages, where only the coming 12 months instalments will be added in the […]

Read more...

What is the distinguishing difference between a trust and waqf?

Q: What is the distinguishing difference between a trust and waqf? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: The fundamental difference between the forms of trusts discussed in the document on trusts and a valid waqf is that in the latter property is taken out of one’s ownership and passed in to the ownership […]

Read more...

Q: Is the responsibility of Zakat a strictly individual responsibility or can it be joint say in the case of husbands and wives?

Q: Is the responsibility of Zakat a strictly individual responsibility or can it be joint say in the case of husbands and wives?   الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب   A: Zakat is strictly a personal obligation.  Even in jointly owned wealth the obligation of zakat remains personal.  Thus, if a husband and […]

Read more...

How did the Al Qalam panel decide the limit given to National Zakat Foundation caseworkers?

Q: How did the Al-Qalam Shariah Panel decide the limit (10%) that is given to caseworkers, who are involved with administering Zakat according to the National Zakat Foundation? A:  الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب The limit of 10% is a not a shar’i limit. Rather, it is intended to ensure that zakat funds are […]

Read more...

How does the proposed Shari’ah compliant student finance Takaful model work?

The proposed Takaful model is based on the principle of mutual co-operation and guarantee. Whilst a conventional loan contract requires the applicant to pay interest on the amount borrowed, the Takaful contract requires the applicant to make a unilateral promise to make future charitable donations in exchange for the Takaful fund paying for the applicants […]

Read more...