The ruling on one who takes zakah to pay off a debt but spends it on something else
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Yes, Khalid. Regarding zakah for a debt. What? Yes, but did you spend it on something other than that?
The Shaykh : Yes. What is required? It is forbidden for him, but if we hold that it is permissible to dispose of the surplus in this case, and the owner is informed and says, "I saw that I was in need," then it suffices. There is no need to demand it back.
The questioner : And if he did not enter it.
The Shaykh : If the amount is required, he must guarantee it.
The questioner : All right, yes.
The Shaykh : He must guarantee it for its owner.
The questioner : I wanted to mention.
The Shaykh : He is not able to do so now because he spent it, but it remains a debt on his person to pay off his debt. He now has a debt to the owner of the zakah and a debt to the previous Quran.
The questioner : If he obtains money, he gives it to us.
The Shaykh : If he obtains money, he gives it to this person, and then this person pays off the debt. Or, if he obtains money, he informs the owner of the zakah and says, "I have obtained money and I want to spend it on my debts."
The Shaykh : Yes. What is required? It is forbidden for him, but if we hold that it is permissible to dispose of the surplus in this case, and the owner is informed and says, "I saw that I was in need," then it suffices. There is no need to demand it back.
The questioner : And if he did not enter it.
The Shaykh : If the amount is required, he must guarantee it.
The questioner : All right, yes.
The Shaykh : He must guarantee it for its owner.
The questioner : I wanted to mention.
The Shaykh : He is not able to do so now because he spent it, but it remains a debt on his person to pay off his debt. He now has a debt to the owner of the zakah and a debt to the previous Quran.
The questioner : If he obtains money, he gives it to us.
The Shaykh : If he obtains money, he gives it to this person, and then this person pays off the debt. Or, if he obtains money, he informs the owner of the zakah and says, "I have obtained money and I want to spend it on my debts."
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، [4852] حكم من أخذ الزكاة لأجل قضاء الدين فصرفها في غير ذلك - تعليقات على الكافي لابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.