The Ruling on Taking from Zakah to Pay Off a Debt
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. The questioner says: I have a large debt, and I am able to pay it off, but only over a long period. The people to whom I owe the money are demanding it from me. Is it permissible for me to take from the zakah in order to pay it off?
Answer:
If the debt is due immediately, not deferred, and you are being demanded to pay it and you are unable to pay it off, then the zakah is permissible for you. If it is due immediately, you are being demanded to pay it, and you are unable to pay it off under these conditions, you may take the zakah. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. The questioner says: I have a large debt, and I am able to pay it off, but only over a long period. The people to whom I owe the money are demanding it from me. Is it permissible for me to take from the zakah in order to pay it off?
Answer:
If the debt is due immediately, not deferred, and you are being demanded to pay it and you are unable to pay it off, then the zakah is permissible for you. If it is due immediately, you are being demanded to pay it, and you are unable to pay it off under these conditions, you may take the zakah. Yes.
Source
شرح إغاثة اللهفان من مصائد الشيطان لابن القيم، بداية من الوجه العاشر : أن غالب الخالق إنما يريدون قضاء حاجاتهم منك، وإن أضر ذلك بدينك ودنياك — islamhouse.com (58:44)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.