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 […]
Read more...Category: Zakat Recipients and Usage Fatawa
Can we use zakat fund to pay off university fees?
Q: Is it permissible for someone to give zakat to a student to pay their uni fees, if that student does not possess nisab, and lives at parent’s home, who pay for all living expenses. Also can people of a family pay zakat into a trust fund to be used for uni fees for their […]
Read more...If a student has an unpaid education related loan, can his parents use their Zakah money to pay off the loan?
Q: If a student has an unpaid education related loan, can his parents use their Zakah money to pay off the loan? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Firstly, for the valid discharge of Zakah one must make the recipient owner of the Zakah. One cannot simply pay off the recipient’s debt on his behalf […]
Read more...The 1st Ethical Zakah guide mentions Zakah cannot be given to one’s spouse. However this Hadith appears to indicate giving Zakah to ones spouse is permissible. Please can you clarify.
Q: The 1st Ethical Zakah guide mentions Zakah cannot be given to one’s spouse. However this Hadith appears to indicate giving Zakah to one’s spouse is permissible. Please can you clarify? الجواب حامدا ومصليه ومنه الصدق والصواب A: There is a difference of opinion as to whether a wife can give Zakah to her poor husband. The position […]
Read more...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 […]
Read more...Can Zakat be given to those who have been in an accident and need an emergency life saving operation?
Q. Can Zakāt be given to those who have been in an accident and need an emergency life saving operation? Can this fall under the category of ‘debtors’ as the individual needs to pay this money for the operation in order to survive? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A. Zakāt can be given only if […]
Read more...Is it permissible to give Zakāt al Maal to a charity if it operates abroad?
Q: Is it permissible to give zakāt al maal to a charity even if it operates in other countries? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: All things being equal one should distribute one’s zakat in the immediate locality of the zakātable wealth. Failure to do so is reprehensible but not prohibited. However, if […]
Read more...For zakat purposes, how might we interpret ‘fi sabeelillah’ in the modern context?
Q: How might we interpret fi sabeelillah in the modern context? Could this include campaigning or advocacy activities – for example, raising awareness about Islamic teachings on poverty issues, dispelling misperceptions about Islam, speaking out on international justice issues etc. الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: Whilst the literal meaning of fi sabilillah […]
Read more...Is the debtor considered poor, and thus eligible to Zakāt funds?
Q: Is the debtor considered poor, and thus eligible to Zakāt funds? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومنه الصدق والصواب A: If the individual’s non-essential items do not cover the qualifying debts or do not reach the nisāb after covering qualifying debts then that person is considered poor and is eligible to receive zakāt. It […]
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...Is it permissible for an organisation that collects and distributes zakat to use zakat income to cover costs that are incurred directly as a result of the zakat distribution process?
Q: Is it permissible for an organisation or charity that collects and distributes zakat funds to use zakat income to cover costs that are incurred directly as a result of the zakat distribution process, e.g. salaries of caseworkers or fieldworkers, IT systems to manage data in relation to recipients of zakat, office space for zakat […]
Read more...How should Islamic charities balance the obligation to give Zakat to local people in need versus giving Zakat to people in need internationally?
Q: How should Islamic charities balance the obligation to give Zakat to local people in need (i.e. in the same countries as their donors) versus giving Zakat to people in need internationally? الجواب حامدا ومصليا ومسلما ومنه الصدق والصواب A: There are several competing reasons as to how and where we should pay our zakat. […]
Read more...