What is the ruling on changing the type of zakat al-fitr to a substance not specified in the texts, or paying it in cash?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : It means, if a man has wheat for zakat in a certain place and he needs to transport it to the poor, delivering it to their homes, this costs money. The transport costs ten, fifteen dinars, less or more. Is it permissible for him to divide this...
The Shaykh : ... and not...
The questioner : The cost of transport is deducted from the original zakat, the money set aside for zakat.
Another questioner : And by Allah, my Shaykh, it is truly obligatory for him, because he does not turn away from it except for the sake of rice.
The Shaykh : All right, how does he turn away from it?
The questioner : ... the 'Asr prayer.
The Shaykh : Hmm.
The questioner : The benefit of the 'Asr prayer is what it is.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I mean, you are saying, in the questioner's words, "My Shaykh."
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : He does it this way. By Allah, this is a new idea, because we have a stake in it. Our stake is that they tasked me. When Ahmad al-Salik consulted me about this method, he told me that the farm where the wheat is grown, the threshing floor, is in an area called Hisban, my Shaykh. This is far away, on the way to Na'ur.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : On the basis that I would go and get the bags from there and distribute them. I said to him, "My brother, I requested that you buy them and distribute them like that, so that we truly realize the benefit of the poor. We realize the benefit of the poor. Let us take them to the mill, grind them, and distribute them as flour. That way the benefit is realized. Truly, the one who..."
The Shaykh : It is not for everyone.
The questioner : It is not for everyone, definitely, because we look for people who knead dough.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And use this wheat. There are people who still knead and make it into miftoul, and this type of flour is wheat.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Good. This... He said, "I do not know anyone." I said to him, "All right, we will fulfill the obligation, but this means you have to pay the cost of grinding and transport. And this means it requires effort, and we have to distribute it. It seems this speech was by Basam to Ahmad al-Salik. Then Ahmad al-Salik said to me, "Ask the Shaykh for me. Is it permissible to deduct the transport costs from the zakat, or not?" It turned out... We benefited from this matter now...
The Shaykh : Do you know, regarding the types of zakat al-fitr?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : We say that the value is not permissible.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : No, but food.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But we say that when the general people today do not eat wheat as their food.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Let alone barley. Therefore, we need to look for an alternative, such as rice, such as bulgur, and so on.
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : But we say that if the zakat is paid in some countries or villages where the people still subsist on wheat and barley, then the alternative is not permissible, even if it is a type of food. So the issue is handled this way regarding this particular detail.
The questioner : Yes. And regarding the second point, paying the transport costs.
The Shaykh : No, I do not see this.
The questioner : You do not see this?
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : Unless it is a voluntary act, meaning from the person concerned.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Now there is expansion.
The Shaykh : Because this comes at the expense of the poor.
The questioner : That is how it appears.
The Shaykh: Ah.
The questioner : As you said, in the associations that handle zakat and oversee its distribution, and so on... But hiring a house, a plane, a car, and...
The Shaykh : And I wish.
The questioner : And offices.
The Shaykh : And I wish it were within the limits of economy, not palaces, and so on. What is there?
The student : That is the front brake.
The Shaykh : ... and not...
The questioner : The cost of transport is deducted from the original zakat, the money set aside for zakat.
Another questioner : And by Allah, my Shaykh, it is truly obligatory for him, because he does not turn away from it except for the sake of rice.
The Shaykh : All right, how does he turn away from it?
The questioner : ... the 'Asr prayer.
The Shaykh : Hmm.
The questioner : The benefit of the 'Asr prayer is what it is.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I mean, you are saying, in the questioner's words, "My Shaykh."
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : He does it this way. By Allah, this is a new idea, because we have a stake in it. Our stake is that they tasked me. When Ahmad al-Salik consulted me about this method, he told me that the farm where the wheat is grown, the threshing floor, is in an area called Hisban, my Shaykh. This is far away, on the way to Na'ur.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : On the basis that I would go and get the bags from there and distribute them. I said to him, "My brother, I requested that you buy them and distribute them like that, so that we truly realize the benefit of the poor. We realize the benefit of the poor. Let us take them to the mill, grind them, and distribute them as flour. That way the benefit is realized. Truly, the one who..."
The Shaykh : It is not for everyone.
The questioner : It is not for everyone, definitely, because we look for people who knead dough.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And use this wheat. There are people who still knead and make it into miftoul, and this type of flour is wheat.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Good. This... He said, "I do not know anyone." I said to him, "All right, we will fulfill the obligation, but this means you have to pay the cost of grinding and transport. And this means it requires effort, and we have to distribute it. It seems this speech was by Basam to Ahmad al-Salik. Then Ahmad al-Salik said to me, "Ask the Shaykh for me. Is it permissible to deduct the transport costs from the zakat, or not?" It turned out... We benefited from this matter now...
The Shaykh : Do you know, regarding the types of zakat al-fitr?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : We say that the value is not permissible.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : No, but food.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : But we say that when the general people today do not eat wheat as their food.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Let alone barley. Therefore, we need to look for an alternative, such as rice, such as bulgur, and so on.
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : But we say that if the zakat is paid in some countries or villages where the people still subsist on wheat and barley, then the alternative is not permissible, even if it is a type of food. So the issue is handled this way regarding this particular detail.
The questioner : Yes. And regarding the second point, paying the transport costs.
The Shaykh : No, I do not see this.
The questioner : You do not see this?
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : Unless it is a voluntary act, meaning from the person concerned.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Now there is expansion.
The Shaykh : Because this comes at the expense of the poor.
The questioner : That is how it appears.
The Shaykh: Ah.
The questioner : As you said, in the associations that handle zakat and oversee its distribution, and so on... But hiring a house, a plane, a car, and...
The Shaykh : And I wish.
The questioner : And offices.
The Shaykh : And I wish it were within the limits of economy, not palaces, and so on. What is there?
The student : That is the front brake.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.