Is it permissible to purchase a water cooler for a public water station with zakah funds?
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The questioner : The questioner, who used the initials M.S.A. for his name, asks: Is it permissible to use zakah money to buy something, for example a water cooler, and write on it "ongoing charity for the soul of the deceased"? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : The reality is that the question is not clear. Does the questioner mean that if he takes zakah from people to which he is entitled, is it permissible for him to spend it on a water cooler for a deceased person or something similar? Or does he mean that is it permissible for one who has zakah to spend it on a water cooler or the like?
If he means the first, we say that if a person has enough to meet his needs, it is not permissible for him to take from the zakah in order to buy a water cooler and dedicate its reward to a deceased person or to himself, or to take the zakah in order to sacrifice an animal on his behalf or on behalf of a deceased person. That is not among his dire necessities, and zakah is not permissible except for one who needs it out of dire necessity. If he means the second, that is, that he buys a motorcycle or the like with zakah funds to place it in the mosque, that is also not permissible. The obligatory requirement in zakah is to pay it out to the poor in money and not to allocate it to such public interests. These public interests have other sources of funding besides zakah. Allah the Exalted made zakah specific for eight categories, which He mentioned in His saying:[At-Tawbah 9:60].
It is not permissible for anyone to distribute his zakah in channels other than these eight, for Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:11] meaning [An-Nisa 4:11] that the distribution to these eight categories is an obligation from Allah. Then He concluded the verse by saying, "And Allah is All-Knowing, Wise." So He, Glorified and Exalted is He, is All-Knowing of who deserves it, and Wise in placing things in their proper places. May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : The reality is that the question is not clear. Does the questioner mean that if he takes zakah from people to which he is entitled, is it permissible for him to spend it on a water cooler for a deceased person or something similar? Or does he mean that is it permissible for one who has zakah to spend it on a water cooler or the like?
If he means the first, we say that if a person has enough to meet his needs, it is not permissible for him to take from the zakah in order to buy a water cooler and dedicate its reward to a deceased person or to himself, or to take the zakah in order to sacrifice an animal on his behalf or on behalf of a deceased person. That is not among his dire necessities, and zakah is not permissible except for one who needs it out of dire necessity. If he means the second, that is, that he buys a motorcycle or the like with zakah funds to place it in the mosque, that is also not permissible. The obligatory requirement in zakah is to pay it out to the poor in money and not to allocate it to such public interests. These public interests have other sources of funding besides zakah. Allah the Exalted made zakah specific for eight categories, which He mentioned 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 مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌIt is not permissible for anyone to distribute his zakah in channels other than these eight, for Allah the Exalted said:
[These shares are] an obligation [imposed] by Allah
فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللَّهِAllah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females. But if there are [only] daughters, two or more, for them is two thirds of one's estate. And if there is only one, for her is half. And for one's parents, to each one of them is a sixth of his estate if he left children. But if he had no children and the parents [alone] inherit from him, then for his mother is one third. And if he had brothers [or sisters], for his mother is a sixth, after any bequest he [may have] made or debt. Your parents or your children - you know not which of them are nearest to you in benefit. [These shares are] an obligation [imposed] by Allah. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.
إِنَّ
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 938- هل يجوز شراء برادة ماء للسبيل من مال الزكاة /سؤال على الهاتف 📞 /ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.