The Recipients of Zakah
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There is also something important: If zakah becomes obligatory, who do we give it to? Do we give it to whoever we want? No.
Allah the Exalted took upon Himself to specify the categories of its recipients, Mighty and Majestic is He,So he said: [Surah al-Tawbah: 60] So whoever pays zakah to those who are not entitled to it, it does not suffice for him, and his obligation is not discharged by it, just as the prayer of one who prays before its time does not suffice for him.
The poor and the needy are given to because of their need, and the criterion for this, as the jurists said, is: that a person does not have what suffices him and his dependents for a year. For example, if we estimate that this poor man, or this man, spends twelve thousand a year, one thousand riyals each month, and he has six thousand, is he poor? Yes, he is poor. We give him only six thousand so that he has what suffices his family for a year.
A man has a salary of three thousand riyals a month, but he spends four thousand every month. Do we give to him or not? We give to him. How much do we give him?We give him twelve thousand, meaning: Three thousand, while he spends four thousand.Therefore: We must complete it for him. We give him four thousand every month, he has three, and one from us, and so on.
The debtors, and its singular is a debtor, and he is: One who has a debt and cannot pay it off, and does not have liquid cash, and does not have real estate, and does not have a trade, the important thing is that he cannot pay off his debt. This person’s debt is paid from zakah, and we have two ways for that:The first way: We give to him and he pays it off.
-And the second way: We pay it off on his behalf.Meaning: We go to the one who is owed and give to him. Which is better?There is a detail in it: If we know that the man is trustworthy and eager to clear his obligation, and that if we give to him he will pay it off, then the best is that we give to him and he pays it off; because in that there is covering for him and keeping away showing off from the giver. But if we know that the man is a corrupter of wealth, if we give to him he will pay the debt but buy things with it that are not needed, then we do not give to him; rather, he goes to his creditor and it is paid off on his behalf, even if the creditor does not know.Because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: [Surah al-Tawbah: 60] And it did not say: "and for the debtors," so when the letter "lam" was not mentioned, we know that it is not a condition that the debtor be given ownership of the money to pay off his debt.So we go to the creditor and we say: You ask so-and-so for one thousand riyals, this is one thousand riyals, and we intend it from zakah.And in this case, we must bring out the debtor and we say: We have paid off for you. Why? Because the creditor might forget and demand the debt from the debtor, while he has already paid it, and in order to reassure the debtor that Allah has paid off his debt.
And know that whenever the descriptions are found in a person, he is entitled to zakah, whether he is a close relative or a distant one, even your brother or your son or your father. Any person in whom the descriptions are found is entitled, except if the one in whom the descriptions are found is someone upon whom you are obligated to spend. In that case, you do not give to him for his need. For example, a man has a father who is in a house, and his father is in a house, his father needs it and he is wealthy with abundant wealth. Does he give to him from his zakah? No.
Why? It is obligatory upon him to spend on his father, and it is not permissible for him to give to him from his zakah; because if he gave from his zakah, he would save himself the expense.
Okay! A man has a lot of money and his father’s affairs are going well, he does not need spending, but he has a debt. Does he pay off his father’s debt? He pays off his father’s debt. Why? Because it is not obligatory upon the son to pay off his father’s debt, so he does not save his money. And if it happens that there is another debtor other than his father, his father is more entitled to having his debt paid off, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Your charity to a close relative is a charity and a maintaining of family ties).
Perhaps we can suffice with this amount so that we can take a little from the questions in the remaining time. We ask Allah the Exalted to make us and you successful in beneficial knowledge and righteous action, and to make what we have learned an argument for us on the Day we meet Him.
Allah the Exalted took upon Himself to specify the categories of its recipients, Mighty and Majestic is He,So he said:
Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَاِبْنِ السَّبِيلِ فَرِيضَةً مِنْ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌThe poor and the needy are given to because of their need, and the criterion for this, as the jurists said, is: that a person does not have what suffices him and his dependents for a year. For example, if we estimate that this poor man, or this man, spends twelve thousand a year, one thousand riyals each month, and he has six thousand, is he poor? Yes, he is poor. We give him only six thousand so that he has what suffices his family for a year.
A man has a salary of three thousand riyals a month, but he spends four thousand every month. Do we give to him or not? We give to him. How much do we give him?We give him twelve thousand, meaning: Three thousand, while he spends four thousand.Therefore: We must complete it for him. We give him four thousand every month, he has three, and one from us, and so on.
The debtors, and its singular is a debtor, and he is: One who has a debt and cannot pay it off, and does not have liquid cash, and does not have real estate, and does not have a trade, the important thing is that he cannot pay off his debt. This person’s debt is paid from zakah, and we have two ways for that:The first way: We give to him and he pays it off.
-And the second way: We pay it off on his behalf.Meaning: We go to the one who is owed and give to him. Which is better?There is a detail in it: If we know that the man is trustworthy and eager to clear his obligation, and that if we give to him he will pay it off, then the best is that we give to him and he pays it off; because in that there is covering for him and keeping away showing off from the giver. But if we know that the man is a corrupter of wealth, if we give to him he will pay the debt but buy things with it that are not needed, then we do not give to him; rather, he goes to his creditor and it is paid off on his behalf, even if the creditor does not know.Because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said:
and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt
وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَAnd know that whenever the descriptions are found in a person, he is entitled to zakah, whether he is a close relative or a distant one, even your brother or your son or your father. Any person in whom the descriptions are found is entitled, except if the one in whom the descriptions are found is someone upon whom you are obligated to spend. In that case, you do not give to him for his need. For example, a man has a father who is in a house, and his father is in a house, his father needs it and he is wealthy with abundant wealth. Does he give to him from his zakah? No.
Why? It is obligatory upon him to spend on his father, and it is not permissible for him to give to him from his zakah; because if he gave from his zakah, he would save himself the expense.
Okay! A man has a lot of money and his father’s affairs are going well, he does not need spending, but he has a debt. Does he pay off his father’s debt? He pays off his father’s debt. Why? Because it is not obligatory upon the son to pay off his father’s debt, so he does not save his money. And if it happens that there is another debtor other than his father, his father is more entitled to having his debt paid off, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (Your charity to a close relative is a charity and a maintaining of family ties).
Perhaps we can suffice with this amount so that we can take a little from the questions in the remaining time. We ask Allah the Exalted to make us and you successful in beneficial knowledge and righteous action, and to make what we have learned an argument for us on the Day we meet Him.