Spending a portion of zakah on the establishment or construction of the charitable association's projects
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Fatwa No. ( 15353 )
Praise be to Allah alone, and may prayers and peace be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after that: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from the Honorable Supervisor of Public Relations at the Charitable Society for Disabled Children, and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number (none) and date 4/7/1413 AH. The questioner asked a question, the text of which is as follows: The administration of the Saudi Charitable Society for the Care of Disabled Children is seeking ways of good that support its activities in accordance with the noble Shari'ah, by the power of Allah. And because you are among those we trust to sympathize with the humanitarian role the Society plays, we turn to you from time to time to seek advice and opinion on certain issues in which we need to be enlightened by your esteemed opinion. And as you know, may Allah preserve you, the Society has found that among the solutions it faces to deal with the large number of children in need of therapeutic, educational, and rehabilitative services are: expanding its existing projects and building new projects for this humanitarian purpose. There is no doubt that these are costly projects, but Allah will be our helper by His power; because the orientation has no profit-making goals or worldly aims, but rather it is a need
A pressing humanitarian need that we feel up close every day. And spending on these projects will be through contact with the people of good in our rising country, who have not ceased to provide all aid to every needy person. Therefore, we present to your esteemed opinion a question related to this topic, which is: Can the association benefit from the zakah funds that reach it, or a portion thereof, in contributing to covering the expenses of establishing these charitable projects? We hope for a kind response to this question, which was raised by the financial committee in its last meeting. We also hope for your esteemed opinion on the following: One of the doers of good decided to give the association a piece of land as zakah on his property and wealth, after he appraised it and knew that its value covers the obligatory zakah or a portion of it. Is that permissible for him? We hope to receive your esteemed answer, may Allah preserve you.
After the Committee studied the inquiry, it answered as follows: First: Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) specified the recipients of zakah in His saying:[At-Tawbah 9:60],
Therefore, no portion of zakah may be spent on the establishment or construction of the charitable association's projects; because that is not among its recipients, and because the association is inhabited by poor and rich disabled people. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned that zakah is not used to build mosques, nor to fence cemeteries, nor to print books. Second: The piece of land that the man wants to give as zakah to the association on behalf of his wealth is not permissible; because it is obligatory for the owner of the land to sell it or appoint the association to sell it, and when the price is received, it is to be spent on the poor among the residents of the association or other poor people. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Praise be to Allah alone, and may prayers and peace be upon the one after whom there is no prophet. And after that: The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta has reviewed what was sent to His Eminence the Grand Mufti from the Honorable Supervisor of Public Relations at the Charitable Society for Disabled Children, and referred to the Committee by the General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars with number (none) and date 4/7/1413 AH. The questioner asked a question, the text of which is as follows: The administration of the Saudi Charitable Society for the Care of Disabled Children is seeking ways of good that support its activities in accordance with the noble Shari'ah, by the power of Allah. And because you are among those we trust to sympathize with the humanitarian role the Society plays, we turn to you from time to time to seek advice and opinion on certain issues in which we need to be enlightened by your esteemed opinion. And as you know, may Allah preserve you, the Society has found that among the solutions it faces to deal with the large number of children in need of therapeutic, educational, and rehabilitative services are: expanding its existing projects and building new projects for this humanitarian purpose. There is no doubt that these are costly projects, but Allah will be our helper by His power; because the orientation has no profit-making goals or worldly aims, but rather it is a need
A pressing humanitarian need that we feel up close every day. And spending on these projects will be through contact with the people of good in our rising country, who have not ceased to provide all aid to every needy person. Therefore, we present to your esteemed opinion a question related to this topic, which is: Can the association benefit from the zakah funds that reach it, or a portion thereof, in contributing to covering the expenses of establishing these charitable projects? We hope for a kind response to this question, which was raised by the financial committee in its last meeting. We also hope for your esteemed opinion on the following: One of the doers of good decided to give the association a piece of land as zakah on his property and wealth, after he appraised it and knew that its value covers the obligatory zakah or a portion of it. Is that permissible for him? We hope to receive your esteemed answer, may Allah preserve you.
After the Committee studied the inquiry, it answered as follows: First: Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) specified the recipients of zakah in His saying:
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 حَكِيمٌTherefore, no portion of zakah may be spent on the establishment or construction of the charitable association's projects; because that is not among its recipients, and because the association is inhabited by poor and rich disabled people. The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) mentioned that zakah is not used to build mosques, nor to fence cemeteries, nor to print books. Second: The piece of land that the man wants to give as zakah to the association on behalf of his wealth is not permissible; because it is obligatory for the owner of the land to sell it or appoint the association to sell it, and when the price is received, it is to be spent on the poor among the residents of the association or other poor people. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.