Paying the salaries of the employees of a committee that assists poor patients, funded from zakah funds
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Fatwa No. ( 17487 )
All praise is due to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from His Excellency, a member of the Friends of Patients Committee in al-Jawf , referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars, with number (4213) and date 17/10/1415 AH. His Excellency asked a question, the text of which is as follows: The Friends of Patients Committee in the al-Jawf region presents to your eminence abundant greetings and respect, and we hope for your assistance in issuing a ruling on the disbursement of zakah funds that reach the Committee. We inform your eminity that the activities of the Friends of Patients Committee in al-Jawf are as follows: 1- The Committee assists the poor brothers and those unable to afford it among
the patients of the region by providing some of their medical needs, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, lenses, oxygen devices, and other medical tools and devices that they cannot afford to buy. 2- Providing diapers for the elderly and diapers and clothes for children of unknown parentage. 3- Securing clothes and needs for neglected patients from their families at the Mental Health Hospital. 4- Securing medical tools and devices for hospitals to help raise the level of health services provided to patients in the region. 5- Establishing wings in hospitals to accommodate more patients from the region, along with developing existing facilities by securing office and medical furniture. 6- Conducting health awareness campaigns and blood donation campaigns. 7- Visiting patients in hospitals and giving them gifts on occasions and festivals. After the above, we ask your eminence: 1- Is it permissible to pay the salary of the secretary and the Committee's employees from these funds? Knowing that the secretary performs several activities related to collecting funds, correspondence, and organizing the Committee's work.
2- Is it permissible to spend from it on the operational needs, such as the costs of printed materials, stationery, and postage sent to individuals and organizations to invite them to donate to the committee, as well as the costs of the car used for work? 3- Is it permissible to spend from it on buying clothes for poor patients, especially those in the psychiatric hospital, and on buying diapers for poor elderly people and children of unknown parentage, as well as medical devices for poor patients, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, lenses implanted in the eye, oxygen machines, blood glucose meters, and the like? 4- Is it permissible to spend from it on buying medical devices for hospitals and establishing new wings to accommodate more patients? 5- Is it permissible to spend from it on conducting health awareness campaigns and calling for blood donations? 6- Is it permissible to spend from it on buying gifts for patients in hospitals on holidays and occasions to boost their morale, which is important for speedy recovery? And in light of the above, we hope that you will kindly guide us to what is
pleasing to Allah and in which of the above matters those funds may be spent? Knowing that the committee has no other resources except donations in their various forms, and we accept from you, Your Eminence, all respect and appreciation .
After the Committee studied the inquiry, it answered as follows: It is obligatory to distribute the zakah funds that reach you in their prescribed channels mentioned in the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Tawbah 9:60] , and they must be distributed as they were given to you in cash, and the recipients buy with them what they need or appoint you to do so on their behalf. It is not permissible for you to buy things for the patients with them, nor to spend from them on your employees, nor on the Committee's construction projects and medical devices, nor on advertising, announcements, and gifts. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his companions.
All praise is due to Allah alone, and peace and blessings be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from His Excellency, a member of the Friends of Patients Committee in al-Jawf , referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars, with number (4213) and date 17/10/1415 AH. His Excellency asked a question, the text of which is as follows: The Friends of Patients Committee in the al-Jawf region presents to your eminence abundant greetings and respect, and we hope for your assistance in issuing a ruling on the disbursement of zakah funds that reach the Committee. We inform your eminity that the activities of the Friends of Patients Committee in al-Jawf are as follows: 1- The Committee assists the poor brothers and those unable to afford it among
the patients of the region by providing some of their medical needs, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, lenses, oxygen devices, and other medical tools and devices that they cannot afford to buy. 2- Providing diapers for the elderly and diapers and clothes for children of unknown parentage. 3- Securing clothes and needs for neglected patients from their families at the Mental Health Hospital. 4- Securing medical tools and devices for hospitals to help raise the level of health services provided to patients in the region. 5- Establishing wings in hospitals to accommodate more patients from the region, along with developing existing facilities by securing office and medical furniture. 6- Conducting health awareness campaigns and blood donation campaigns. 7- Visiting patients in hospitals and giving them gifts on occasions and festivals. After the above, we ask your eminence: 1- Is it permissible to pay the salary of the secretary and the Committee's employees from these funds? Knowing that the secretary performs several activities related to collecting funds, correspondence, and organizing the Committee's work.
2- Is it permissible to spend from it on the operational needs, such as the costs of printed materials, stationery, and postage sent to individuals and organizations to invite them to donate to the committee, as well as the costs of the car used for work? 3- Is it permissible to spend from it on buying clothes for poor patients, especially those in the psychiatric hospital, and on buying diapers for poor elderly people and children of unknown parentage, as well as medical devices for poor patients, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, lenses implanted in the eye, oxygen machines, blood glucose meters, and the like? 4- Is it permissible to spend from it on buying medical devices for hospitals and establishing new wings to accommodate more patients? 5- Is it permissible to spend from it on conducting health awareness campaigns and calling for blood donations? 6- Is it permissible to spend from it on buying gifts for patients in hospitals on holidays and occasions to boost their morale, which is important for speedy recovery? And in light of the above, we hope that you will kindly guide us to what is
pleasing to Allah and in which of the above matters those funds may be spent? Knowing that the committee has no other resources except donations in their various forms, and we accept from you, Your Eminence, all respect and appreciation .
After the Committee studied the inquiry, it answered as follows: It is obligatory to distribute the zakah funds that reach you in their prescribed channels mentioned in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.