Spending Zakah on School Scholarships
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Fatwa No. ( 21586 )
Q: Given the desire of (Iffat College) to include the maximum number of our female students who wish to enroll in the college but whose financial circumstances do not allow them to pay the required tuition fees in its scholarship system, which is funded from the Zakah account – we hope you will inform us whether it is possible to invest the Zakah funds and use the returns from that investment to cover the costs of the scholarships.
A: It is not permissible to spend Zakah on anything other than the categories specified by Allah in the noble verse, which is His saying:[At-Tawbah 9:60] , so it is not permissible to spend it on scholarships;
because they are not among these categories. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: Given the desire of (Iffat College) to include the maximum number of our female students who wish to enroll in the college but whose financial circumstances do not allow them to pay the required tuition fees in its scholarship system, which is funded from the Zakah account – we hope you will inform us whether it is possible to invest the Zakah funds and use the returns from that investment to cover the costs of the scholarships.
A: It is not permissible to spend Zakah on anything other than the categories specified by Allah in the noble verse, which is 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 حَكِيمٌbecause they are not among these categories. 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.