Giving a maid from zakah
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa number ( 14106 )
Q: We have an Egyptian maid whose family circumstances necessitated her need for work. She is a pious, observant woman who reads the Qur'an, but her harsh circumstances and the debts accumulated upon her forced her to travel and work to support her children and pay off her debts, which their creditors demand from her every day. Although she cannot pay these debts from her salary, as it is small and she spends it on her family there, on her son who is studying at one of the universities in Egypt , and on her second son who is performing military service in the army, as for her husband, he did not bear any responsibility whatsoever regarding his children in any expenses. He works as a laborer in one of the companies there in Egypt with a simple salary, but unfortunately, instead of spending this salary on his wife and children, he spent it on his personal pleasures, such as alcohol and other forbidden things. This led her and her brothers to file a lawsuit for divorce in one of the courts in Egypt . The divorce took place after he stipulated that he was not responsible for the children, and she became their family provider along with her debts. The amounts she owes are as follows: 8000 Egyptian pounds to buy her husband's share of the house, as he owns half of the house and she owns the other half.
3,700 Egyptian pounds is the remaining amount owed to the contractor who built the house. 2,200 pounds is for the lawyer who handled the divorce case and the registration of the purchase of half the house belonging to her husband. 2,500 pounds is for buying a mattress for her son, who is studying at the university, as the university is very far from the house. Our question to Your Eminence, the Shaykh: Is it permissible to give her from charity or zakah to settle her debts and relieve her distress from these debts that their owners are constantly demanding? Knowing, Your Eminence, that we are absolutely certain of the truth of these debts. Please inform us, may Allah reward you, and may He reward you for Islam and the Muslims with all good
A : If the reality of the questioner's situation is as mentioned in the question, there is no harm in giving her from the zakah to the extent of paying off her debt; because she, given the circumstances mentioned, is among the debtors, who are among the categories entitled to zakah. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: We have an Egyptian maid whose family circumstances necessitated her need for work. She is a pious, observant woman who reads the Qur'an, but her harsh circumstances and the debts accumulated upon her forced her to travel and work to support her children and pay off her debts, which their creditors demand from her every day. Although she cannot pay these debts from her salary, as it is small and she spends it on her family there, on her son who is studying at one of the universities in Egypt , and on her second son who is performing military service in the army, as for her husband, he did not bear any responsibility whatsoever regarding his children in any expenses. He works as a laborer in one of the companies there in Egypt with a simple salary, but unfortunately, instead of spending this salary on his wife and children, he spent it on his personal pleasures, such as alcohol and other forbidden things. This led her and her brothers to file a lawsuit for divorce in one of the courts in Egypt . The divorce took place after he stipulated that he was not responsible for the children, and she became their family provider along with her debts. The amounts she owes are as follows: 8000 Egyptian pounds to buy her husband's share of the house, as he owns half of the house and she owns the other half.
3,700 Egyptian pounds is the remaining amount owed to the contractor who built the house. 2,200 pounds is for the lawyer who handled the divorce case and the registration of the purchase of half the house belonging to her husband. 2,500 pounds is for buying a mattress for her son, who is studying at the university, as the university is very far from the house. Our question to Your Eminence, the Shaykh: Is it permissible to give her from charity or zakah to settle her debts and relieve her distress from these debts that their owners are constantly demanding? Knowing, Your Eminence, that we are absolutely certain of the truth of these debts. Please inform us, may Allah reward you, and may He reward you for Islam and the Muslims with all good
A : If the reality of the questioner's situation is as mentioned in the question, there is no harm in giving her from the zakah to the extent of paying off her debt; because she, given the circumstances mentioned, is among the debtors, who are among the categories entitled to zakah. 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.