Paying Zakah in Charitable Projects
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Fatwa No. ( 20732 )
Q: A committee for improving the city of al-Rawdah in the Hail region, at the request of the residents, has decided to widen the narrow Muslim walkways and streets. Many lives, including those of children, the elderly, and adults, have been lost on these paths due to being run over or struck by vehicles. The improvement committee has determined the necessity of acting to ward off harm and save lives by widening the dangerous streets and walkways. The committee, including Shaykh Sulayman al-'Amir , the sender of this letter to your eminence, and the rest of the committee, has done its best to encourage good deeds. Some benefactors have responded by widening the street from their farms or houses, each according to their generosity, and there is no blame on the benefactors. However, among the contributors are those who do not have the ability to repair a wall to cover themselves in exchange for what was taken from them, or a house to renovate in place of their own. They fall under the category of the poor because they have no means to fund covering themselves and their families with a wall or repairing a house to live in instead of the wall or house that was included in the contribution. We have been hesitant about paying them from Zakah. May we pay them from Zakah to repair their wall or house, given that the committee knows they are in need of this and are financially unable, especially considering their advanced age prevents them from working? We hope for your guidance.
After studying the inquiry, the Committee answered that it is not permissible to pay Zakah
in charitable projects; such as repairing streets and building mosques and the like; because Allah has restricted its recipients to eight categories, which are mentioned in His saying, the Exalted:[At-Tawbah 9:60] However, it is permissible to give a poor person from Zakah what is needed to repair his house or renovate it, if he is poor and unable to do so himself. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: A committee for improving the city of al-Rawdah in the Hail region, at the request of the residents, has decided to widen the narrow Muslim walkways and streets. Many lives, including those of children, the elderly, and adults, have been lost on these paths due to being run over or struck by vehicles. The improvement committee has determined the necessity of acting to ward off harm and save lives by widening the dangerous streets and walkways. The committee, including Shaykh Sulayman al-'Amir , the sender of this letter to your eminence, and the rest of the committee, has done its best to encourage good deeds. Some benefactors have responded by widening the street from their farms or houses, each according to their generosity, and there is no blame on the benefactors. However, among the contributors are those who do not have the ability to repair a wall to cover themselves in exchange for what was taken from them, or a house to renovate in place of their own. They fall under the category of the poor because they have no means to fund covering themselves and their families with a wall or repairing a house to live in instead of the wall or house that was included in the contribution. We have been hesitant about paying them from Zakah. May we pay them from Zakah to repair their wall or house, given that the committee knows they are in need of this and are financially unable, especially considering their advanced age prevents them from working? We hope for your guidance.
After studying the inquiry, the Committee answered that it is not permissible to pay Zakah
in charitable projects; such as repairing streets and building mosques and the like; because Allah has restricted its recipients to eight categories, which are mentioned in His saying, 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.