The Ruling on the Investment of Zakah Funds by Charitable Societies
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One of the brothers from the charitable society informed him that some of the officials said: that the zakah funds held by the charitable society are sometimes invested. What is the ruling on this mentioned matter?
The charitable society has a permit from the government, and I believe that among the things it is permitted to do is accepting zakah. So, if the zakah reaches it, it has reached its rightful recipient, based on the fact that it is acting on behalf of the government. Thus, the zakah payer’s obligation is discharged if he delivers it to the charitable societies. If it happens to be lost while in the possession of the charitable societies, the zakah payer is not liable for it; because he paid it to its people who took possession of it on behalf of the government. As for investing it in purchasing real estate and the like, I do not see that as permissible; because the obligation is to meet the need of the deserving poor person now. As for the poor people of the future, their matter is left to Allah. But for us to put it in real estate for investment, while it is zakah that meets an urgent need,I say: this is forbidden and not permissible.
The charitable society has a permit from the government, and I believe that among the things it is permitted to do is accepting zakah. So, if the zakah reaches it, it has reached its rightful recipient, based on the fact that it is acting on behalf of the government. Thus, the zakah payer’s obligation is discharged if he delivers it to the charitable societies. If it happens to be lost while in the possession of the charitable societies, the zakah payer is not liable for it; because he paid it to its people who took possession of it on behalf of the government. As for investing it in purchasing real estate and the like, I do not see that as permissible; because the obligation is to meet the need of the deserving poor person now. As for the poor people of the future, their matter is left to Allah. But for us to put it in real estate for investment, while it is zakah that meets an urgent need,I say: this is forbidden and not permissible.