What is paid to the Relief for the People of Kosovo
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Fatwa No. ( 20955 )
Praise be 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: Dr. Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Suwaylim , President of the Saudi Red Crescent Society and President of the Joint Committee for the Relief of the People of Kosovo , with reference number (306 \ R) and date 15 / 3 / 1420 AH, which was referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with reference number (1943) and date 26 / 3 / 1420 AH. His Excellency’s letter stated the following:
His Eminence the Shaykh: Abd al-Aziz ibn Abdullah al-Sheikh , the Grand Mufti and President of the Council of Senior Scholars, may Allah’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you. I hope for your support, success, and correctness. In light of our wise government’s care and concern for the affairs of Muslims, a noble royal directive was issued, bearing number (G \ B \ 1863) and dated 3 / 2 / 1420 AH, which included the formation of a joint committee for the relief of the people of Kosovo . Among its activities is the collection of donations and material and financial aid, some of which is obligatory zakah, and some is general charity. As you know – may Allah preserve you – managing these activities requires allocating a portion of these donations to administrative expenses, including employee compensation, renting and equipping buildings, media work to publicize the problem, telephone communications, transportation, and other such costs. Therefore, I ask you to consider this and inform us of the Shari'ah-compliant percentage that can be deducted from the total donations to cover these expenses. May Allah preserve and protect you, and may Allah’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
After the Committee studied the inquiry, it responded that the obligatory zakah funds received by the Joint Committee for the Relief of the People of Kosovo must be distributed in their Shari'ah-prescribed categories mentioned in the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Tawbah 9:60] ,
and it is not permissible to distribute them in anything other than what Allah has specified; because the conscience is not cleared except by fulfilling the obligation in what Allah has specified, and what you mentioned is not among the categories of zakah. Likewise, voluntary charity and donations that their owners have designated for specific charitable works are to be distributed in the charitable works designated by their owners, and it is not permissible to distribute them in anything else. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Praise be 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: Dr. Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Suwaylim , President of the Saudi Red Crescent Society and President of the Joint Committee for the Relief of the People of Kosovo , with reference number (306 \ R) and date 15 / 3 / 1420 AH, which was referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with reference number (1943) and date 26 / 3 / 1420 AH. His Excellency’s letter stated the following:
His Eminence the Shaykh: Abd al-Aziz ibn Abdullah al-Sheikh , the Grand Mufti and President of the Council of Senior Scholars, may Allah’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you. I hope for your support, success, and correctness. In light of our wise government’s care and concern for the affairs of Muslims, a noble royal directive was issued, bearing number (G \ B \ 1863) and dated 3 / 2 / 1420 AH, which included the formation of a joint committee for the relief of the people of Kosovo . Among its activities is the collection of donations and material and financial aid, some of which is obligatory zakah, and some is general charity. As you know – may Allah preserve you – managing these activities requires allocating a portion of these donations to administrative expenses, including employee compensation, renting and equipping buildings, media work to publicize the problem, telephone communications, transportation, and other such costs. Therefore, I ask you to consider this and inform us of the Shari'ah-compliant percentage that can be deducted from the total donations to cover these expenses. May Allah preserve and protect you, and may Allah’s peace, mercy, and blessings be upon you.
After the Committee studied the inquiry, it responded that the obligatory zakah funds received by the Joint Committee for the Relief of the People of Kosovo must be distributed in their Shari'ah-prescribed categories 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 حَكِيمٌand it is not permissible to distribute them in anything other than what Allah has specified; because the conscience is not cleared except by fulfilling the obligation in what Allah has specified, and what you mentioned is not among the categories of zakah. Likewise, voluntary charity and donations that their owners have designated for specific charitable works are to be distributed in the charitable works designated by their owners, and it is not permissible to distribute them in anything else. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.