Ruling on Investing Charitable Donations
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There are some young men who wanted to undertake a charitable project, so they collected donations. After collecting the donations, they realized that these donations would not be exhausted,So they said: so they proposed to take a portion of these donations to spend on what they had collected them for, and to save a portion to form a capital with which they would establish a project. The income from this project would serve the same purpose for which the original funds were collected. Is it permissible in the Shari'ah for them to save this money without permission, given that the project's operation might involve loss or might involve profit?
If a person collects donations for a specific purpose, he must spend them on that specific purpose. He may not spend them on anything else unless he has been given discretion in the matter or has sought permission. Let us give an example of this: a person who collects for Somalia, and they collected a large amount of money,And they said: it is possible for us to take half of what we collected to build buildings or to buy shops so that their income can be used for these people and continue,So we say: this is not permissible; because the purpose of collecting the money is to meet the needs of those who are currently present.
As for those who do not yet exist, we did not collect for them. Also, it is possible that we will be prevented from delivering this money to them in the future, and we do not know whether this is something that can be achieved in the future or not.
Furthermore, doing so would also be an injustice to those who are currently present. Meeting the urgent needs of those who are present requires that we give them what we collected for them. However, if the matter is delegated to you or you seek permission, then there is nothing wrong with it.
The questioner: And what about this money if a lunar year passes over it?Answer: There is no zakah in it; because it is outside the ownership of its owners. All funds collected for charity or for other purposes do not have zakah. This also includes what some families collect, where they gather money, and if one of them suffers a calamity, they help him. This also does not have zakah; because it has left the ownership of its owners. For this reason, if a person wanted to reclaim it, he would not be able to do so, and if he died, it would not be inherited from him.
If a person collects donations for a specific purpose, he must spend them on that specific purpose. He may not spend them on anything else unless he has been given discretion in the matter or has sought permission. Let us give an example of this: a person who collects for Somalia, and they collected a large amount of money,And they said: it is possible for us to take half of what we collected to build buildings or to buy shops so that their income can be used for these people and continue,So we say: this is not permissible; because the purpose of collecting the money is to meet the needs of those who are currently present.
As for those who do not yet exist, we did not collect for them. Also, it is possible that we will be prevented from delivering this money to them in the future, and we do not know whether this is something that can be achieved in the future or not.
Furthermore, doing so would also be an injustice to those who are currently present. Meeting the urgent needs of those who are present requires that we give them what we collected for them. However, if the matter is delegated to you or you seek permission, then there is nothing wrong with it.
The questioner: And what about this money if a lunar year passes over it?Answer: There is no zakah in it; because it is outside the ownership of its owners. All funds collected for charity or for other purposes do not have zakah. This also includes what some families collect, where they gather money, and if one of them suffers a calamity, they help him. This also does not have zakah; because it has left the ownership of its owners. For this reason, if a person wanted to reclaim it, he would not be able to do so, and if he died, it would not be inherited from him.