Is it permissible to convert the amount of zakah into foodstuffs and other material goods to be distributed to the poor?
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The questioner : Is it permissible to convert the amount of zakah into foodstuffs and other material goods to be distributed to the poor?
The Shaykh : It is not permissible. Zakah must be paid in currency. However, if there is someone who receives zakah on behalf of the state, then there is no harm in using it to buy necessities for the poor and giving them to them. But if it is from his own initiative or if he is an agent for another person, it must not be converted into material goods. Rather, it is to be distributed in currency. Yes.
The Shaykh : It is not permissible. Zakah must be paid in currency. However, if there is someone who receives zakah on behalf of the state, then there is no harm in using it to buy necessities for the poor and giving them to them. But if it is from his own initiative or if he is an agent for another person, it must not be converted into material goods. Rather, it is to be distributed in currency. Yes.