Giving zakah as a gratuity
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Fatwa No. ( 2551 )
Q: It is customary for some people to give what they call a gratuity to those who work for them or their employees. Some of them deduct these gratuities they give to their employees from the obligatory zakah due on their wealth, arguing that these employees who receive the gratuities are the ones intended by Perhaps this is their understanding, or perhaps someone explained it to them that way. We ask you, your Excellencies, to give us the opinion of the religion.
A: The "workers" referred to in the verse of zakah are: the collectors whom the imam sends to take the zakah from its owners to collect it, preserve it, record it, and distribute it. The practical Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) indicates this, and his successors after him adopted it, and the practice of the people has continued on this basis to this day. As for the employees of those upon whom zakah is obligatory, they do not fall under this category. It is obligatory for him to distribute it in its lawful channels. When he gives to the employees in his service, he is seeking to keep them in his service, and by doing so, he is using the zakah for the benefit of his wealth, which is not permissible. However, if they are poor, there is no harm in giving them from the zakah because of their poverty, not because they are
employees in his service, on the condition that he pays them wages like those of their peers from other than the zakah. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: It is customary for some people to give what they call a gratuity to those who work for them or their employees. Some of them deduct these gratuities they give to their employees from the obligatory zakah due on their wealth, arguing that these employees who receive the gratuities are the ones intended by
and those who collect it
وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَاA: The "workers" referred to in the verse of zakah are: the collectors whom the imam sends to take the zakah from its owners to collect it, preserve it, record it, and distribute it. The practical Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) indicates this, and his successors after him adopted it, and the practice of the people has continued on this basis to this day. As for the employees of those upon whom zakah is obligatory, they do not fall under this category. It is obligatory for him to distribute it in its lawful channels. When he gives to the employees in his service, he is seeking to keep them in his service, and by doing so, he is using the zakah for the benefit of his wealth, which is not permissible. However, if they are poor, there is no harm in giving them from the zakah because of their poverty, not because they are
employees in his service, on the condition that he pays them wages like those of their peers from other than the zakah. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.