The Ruling on Appointing Associations to Collect and Distribute Zakat al-Fitr
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
I heard, the questioner will ask: What is the ruling on the action of charitable associations in obtaining authorization from the poor to collect Zakat al-Fitr on their behalf, and then distributing it to them after the festival in installments suitable for the poor themselves? May Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh:
It is delayed until before the festival prayer. If the owner pays it out, he should appoint someone to pay it out before the festival, before the festival prayer. It is not permissible to delay it except after the festival. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that it be paid out before the people go out to pray, meaning before the festival prayer. So the owner of the zakah must pay it out himself, or appoint a trustworthy person to take charge of paying it out before the festival prayer. Distributing it one or two days before the festival is fine. On the twenty-eighth, the twenty-ninth, or the thirtieth day if the month is complete, he begins paying it out on the twenty-eighth, two days before the festival. The festival may be on the thirtieth, or on the twenty-ninth if the month is short. The month may be complete, or it may be short. It is obligatory to pay it out himself or through a trustworthy person. A trustworthy person is necessary so that it reaches its rightful recipients.
The presenter:
And the poor have success, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh:
The poor person may appoint a representative; a representative is appointed for the person.
The presenter:
All good.
The Shaykh:
If he appoints someone to receive it for him, there is no harm. If he hands it over to the poor person’s representative, it is considered delivered on behalf of the poor person.
The presenter:
In the associations, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh:
A specific representative, not in the name of the association. It must be the poor person’s representative who gives it to him. There is no poor person who names so-and-so as his representative, or says, “Give my share to so-and-so, it is fine, you give it to him,” or “Give it to so-and-so, he is my representative.” As for the association, it is for the poor in general.
I heard, the questioner will ask: What is the ruling on the action of charitable associations in obtaining authorization from the poor to collect Zakat al-Fitr on their behalf, and then distributing it to them after the festival in installments suitable for the poor themselves? May Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh:
It is delayed until before the festival prayer. If the owner pays it out, he should appoint someone to pay it out before the festival, before the festival prayer. It is not permissible to delay it except after the festival. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that it be paid out before the people go out to pray, meaning before the festival prayer. So the owner of the zakah must pay it out himself, or appoint a trustworthy person to take charge of paying it out before the festival prayer. Distributing it one or two days before the festival is fine. On the twenty-eighth, the twenty-ninth, or the thirtieth day if the month is complete, he begins paying it out on the twenty-eighth, two days before the festival. The festival may be on the thirtieth, or on the twenty-ninth if the month is short. The month may be complete, or it may be short. It is obligatory to pay it out himself or through a trustworthy person. A trustworthy person is necessary so that it reaches its rightful recipients.
The presenter:
And the poor have success, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh:
The poor person may appoint a representative; a representative is appointed for the person.
The presenter:
All good.
The Shaykh:
If he appoints someone to receive it for him, there is no harm. If he hands it over to the poor person’s representative, it is considered delivered on behalf of the poor person.
The presenter:
In the associations, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh:
A specific representative, not in the name of the association. It must be the poor person’s representative who gives it to him. There is no poor person who names so-and-so as his representative, or says, “Give my share to so-and-so, it is fine, you give it to him,” or “Give it to so-and-so, he is my representative.” As for the association, it is for the poor in general.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ ابن باز Alsheikh Binbaz»، 107 هل يجوز للجمعيات الخيرية إخراج زكاة الفطر بعد العيد؟ للإمام ابن باز — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.