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

  Q: Is the responsibility of Zakāt a strictly individual responsibility or can it be joint say in the case of husbands and wives? Most spouses would have joint finances and liabilities or would treat theirs as such. الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Zakāt is strictly a personal obligation.  Even in jointly […]

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Can Zakat ul Fitr only be distributed in the form of food?

Q: Is it permissible for Zakat ul Fitr to be given in the form of cash or new clothes, or must it be spent on food?  الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Zakatul Fitr can be given in the form of cash or new clothes and does not have to be spent on food.  […]

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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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Am I allowed to give zakat to my husband’s mother?

Q: My husband’s family live abroad, they are not well off at all and his mother needs cancer medicine.  I think his father would have savings above the nisab (and not be eligible for zakat) but his mother on her own doesn’t have her own savings, would it be permissible to give my zakat directly […]

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Is Zakat payable on wealth not held in possession for the entire year?

Q: In the beginning of the year 2014 my husband and I were looking to purchase our first home.We are currently renting privately. I had about £50,000 savings. We both work full time and our salaries were going to contribute to the eventual purchase (as it takes about 12-16 weeks for completion and all monies […]

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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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Can we still give zakat to someone if we cannot know if they are eligible or not to receive it?

Q: I want to give my zakat to relatives back in Somalia. They are calling and asking for help, telling us how hard pressed they are. I have asked my immediate family if they know whether these relatives qualify to receive zakat. They only know what they have been told by the relatives, which is […]

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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 […]

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Why does one need to pay Zakat on a pension plan if one does not get access till later?

 Q:  I have recently setup a SI pension plan account where I can manage the investment but the principal and the gains are not available to me till the age of 55. Is the investment value still zakatable in the years leading up to age 55?   الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب   A: […]

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