To whom is zakah given in these days?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : O my master.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: If you please, in these days, to whom is zakah given?
The Shaykh: In these days, those who do not give zakah, do you know who does not give zakah?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: It is the poor person who does not have the nisab.
Another questioner: Take care of him, our Shaykh, this ... .
The questioner: Does the sick person fall under this? The sick person?
The Shaykh: May Allah bless you, whether he is sick or healthy; the important thing is that he is poor. So if he is a poor, sick person, he is more deserving of zakah than a poor, healthy person.
The questioner: ... the same thing?
The Shaykh: The important thing is that he is poor, and there is a note here; we often discuss this with our brother Abu 'Abdullah and others; zakah must be given to the poor as ownership.
The questioner: Must?
The Shaykh: Given as ownership, meaning handed over hand to hand. It is not that you, for example, take him to the hospital and treat him at the expense of the zakah fund, but rather you give him the money in his hand, and he pays what is due to the hospital or buys medicine or the like; so this giving of ownership—the scholars say, based on their understanding of His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):[Al-Ma'arij 70:24-25], for the one who asks.
So the rule is: everyone who is not obligated to pay zakah is permitted to receive zakah.
The questioner: Our Shaykh, the funds are collected—my lord—on days other than zakah days, are they collected as voluntary charity?
The Shaykh: Ah, if they are general voluntary charities and not annual zakah, then these must be separated; because you have a "flexibility" with these, you have ease with them; you can dispose of them as you wish.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: As for zakah ... .
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: If you please, in these days, to whom is zakah given?
The Shaykh: In these days, those who do not give zakah, do you know who does not give zakah?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: It is the poor person who does not have the nisab.
Another questioner: Take care of him, our Shaykh, this ... .
The questioner: Does the sick person fall under this? The sick person?
The Shaykh: May Allah bless you, whether he is sick or healthy; the important thing is that he is poor. So if he is a poor, sick person, he is more deserving of zakah than a poor, healthy person.
The questioner: ... the same thing?
The Shaykh: The important thing is that he is poor, and there is a note here; we often discuss this with our brother Abu 'Abdullah and others; zakah must be given to the poor as ownership.
The questioner: Must?
The Shaykh: Given as ownership, meaning handed over hand to hand. It is not that you, for example, take him to the hospital and treat him at the expense of the zakah fund, but rather you give him the money in his hand, and he pays what is due to the hospital or buys medicine or the like; so this giving of ownership—the scholars say, based on their understanding of His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):
within whose wealth is a known right (25) For the petitioner and the deprived -
فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ * لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِSo the rule is: everyone who is not obligated to pay zakah is permitted to receive zakah.
The questioner: Our Shaykh, the funds are collected—my lord—on days other than zakah days, are they collected as voluntary charity?
The Shaykh: Ah, if they are general voluntary charities and not annual zakah, then these must be separated; because you have a "flexibility" with these, you have ease with them; you can dispose of them as you wish.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh: As for zakah ... .
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.