Is it necessary for Zakat to be allocated and spent within 1 year of receiving the donation?

Q: What is the time-period for dispensing Zakat? Is it necessary for Zakat to be allocated and spent within 1 year of receiving the donation? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Zakat should be distributed as soon as possible.  If there are procedural delays in the PROPER discharge of zakat which includes proprietary […]

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Can charities be considered as al-amileen?

Q: Can charities be considered as al-amileen? If so, what percentage of Zakat may be used for administration costs, and what activities may be considered “administration”   الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Aamileen, as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an are the state appointed officials who collect zakat on behalf of the ruler who […]

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Does Zakah need to be paid on maternity pay that may need returning?

Q: Does Zakah need to be paid on maternity pay that may need returning if one can’t go back to work and hence has been kept aside? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Once maternity pay is received the recipient becomes owner of the same.  As it is not a loan it will […]

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Would it be permissible to pay zakat to an institution who are to spend it 100% on the living essentials of their pupils?

Q: Would it be permissible to pay zakat to the institution who are to spend it 100% on feeding, clothing and living essentials of the pupils? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومنه الصدق والصواب A: It is not sufficient to simply spend the zakat funds upon eligible recipients even if it is 100%.  This alone will not […]

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Can I work in a supermarket if I process harām items such as alcohol at the till?

Q: Can I work in a supermarket if I process harām items such as alcohol at the till? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: The legal advice that I have been given is that under English law there is no presumption of agency between a till operator and the supermarket owner/s and that the till […]

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Can someone stuck in a ribā-based loan give voluntary charity, or do they need to pay off the ribā-based loan first?

 Q: Can someone stuck in a riba-based loan give voluntary charity, or do they need to pay off the riba-based loan first, given that is a duty, and thereafter resume with giving voluntary charitable donations? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب   A: One who has taken a haram loan or a conventional mortgage should […]

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Is income generated from selling musical instruments haram?

Q: I have a question re income generated from selling musical instruments. In my ‘pre-practising’ days I had purchased musical equipment such as keyboards and subwoofers. The money used to purchase these back then was Halal. If I did now sell these, is the money I make still deemed as Halal? And if for some […]

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What is the Islamic position on ‘Spread Betting’?

Q: What is the Islamic position on ‘Spread Betting’?  Please find below two definitions given for this activity. From http://www.investopedia.com/terms/s/spreadbetting.asp Definition of ‘Spread Betting’ A type of speculation that involves taking a bet on the price movement of a security. A spread betting company quotes two prices, the bid and offer price (also called the spread), […]

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Is it permissible to give Sadaqah from your child benefit money or is the permission of the child required?

Q: Is it permissible to give Sadaqah from your child benefit money or is the permission of the child required?   الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Child benefit is a payment to and the property of the parent with parental responsibility.  Whilst it is intended and indeed expected that the parent will use the […]

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Are my earnings as a waiter serving Haram food, considered as Halal income?

Q: Are my earnings as a waiter serving Haram food, considered as Halal income? In light of the fatwa regarding permissibility of working in supermarkets that sell alcohol, is it permissible for me to work as a waiter, serving Haram food?   الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Whilst in principle the two scenarios are […]

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Is disbursing Zakāt funds for freeing of prisoners and covering their legal costs or family needs deemed permissible usage of these monies?

Q: Can we give Zakāt funds to free prisoners? Also can Zakāt funds be used to help finance their legal costs as there is no ‘ransom’ pay for most prisoners nowadays?  Can we give Zakāt funds to their families left behind alone with no breadwinner?   الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومنه الصدق والصواب    A:  The freeing of prisoners […]

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