The Ruling on Paying Zakat al-Fitr to Charitable Organizations
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
What is the ruling on what people are doing now at the charitable organizations, where they pay them a sum of money in lieu of Zakat al-Fitr, and the organization then pays the Zakat al-Fitr on their behalf?
Answer:
This is a laxity, laziness, and frivolity on the part of people regarding the charity of Fitr. It is obligatory for the fasting person to give the charity of Fitr for himself and for those from his household whom he supports, and he must pay it to the poor himself. This is an honor for him, a reward for him, and a righteous deed. Why does he entrust this matter to an organization? Who knows whether they will distribute it or not? Will they distribute it on the day of the festival or days after the festival? Are they distributing food or coins? Who can trust these groups?
It is not a specific individual in whom you have confidence and whom you appoint. This is an organization of people who meet with you and who take charge of this matter. This is a worship and an obligatory zakah that is incumbent upon you. How can you be so lax in it? You must either give it yourself, or appoint a specific trustworthy person to give it on your behalf on the night of the festival or on the day of the festival before the prayer. As for the organization, who is the one who meets with you? Who is the one who carries out this work? It is a group of people, each one relying on the other, they rely on one another, or they do not distribute it until after the festival has passed, or they do not buy food and distribute it in cash, or they send it abroad.
This is playing with acts of worship. This is a worship like the prayer. Zakat is like the prayer. You take the prayer, it is not permissible for you to be lax in it.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you
What is the ruling on what people are doing now at the charitable organizations, where they pay them a sum of money in lieu of Zakat al-Fitr, and the organization then pays the Zakat al-Fitr on their behalf?
Answer:
This is a laxity, laziness, and frivolity on the part of people regarding the charity of Fitr. It is obligatory for the fasting person to give the charity of Fitr for himself and for those from his household whom he supports, and he must pay it to the poor himself. This is an honor for him, a reward for him, and a righteous deed. Why does he entrust this matter to an organization? Who knows whether they will distribute it or not? Will they distribute it on the day of the festival or days after the festival? Are they distributing food or coins? Who can trust these groups?
It is not a specific individual in whom you have confidence and whom you appoint. This is an organization of people who meet with you and who take charge of this matter. This is a worship and an obligatory zakah that is incumbent upon you. How can you be so lax in it? You must either give it yourself, or appoint a specific trustworthy person to give it on your behalf on the night of the festival or on the day of the festival before the prayer. As for the organization, who is the one who meets with you? Who is the one who carries out this work? It is a group of people, each one relying on the other, they rely on one another, or they do not distribute it until after the festival has passed, or they do not buy food and distribute it in cash, or they send it abroad.
This is playing with acts of worship. This is a worship like the prayer. Zakat is like the prayer. You take the prayer, it is not permissible for you to be lax in it.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you
Source
75-اللقاء الأسبوعي مع الشيخ صالح الفوزان - 07 — archive.org (1:15:37)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.