Zakat al-Fitr and the ruling on the situation where money is paid to an organization to purchase the items, and the Shaykh’s preference regarding the issue.

The questioner: Shaykh, this brother called you, and this question came to us by fax, and we printed it so we could read it to you.

The Shaykh: Well, this took a long portion of our extra time yesterday.

The questioner: But, Shaykh.

The Shaykh: It is not about distributing charity.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh: And the coupons.

The questioner : Yes, yes.

The Shaykh: You tell him, Abu Anas, we answered this question.

The questioner: They only want, Shaykh, a signature saying yes.

The Shaykh: I told them, my brother, why not have this been before... Ramadan.

The questioner: We will send it by fax, Shaykh.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: We will send it by fax, Shaykh.

The Shaykh: You will send it.

The questioner : Tonight.

The Shaykh: But who gives you the answer so you can send it by fax?

The questioner: Our hope is in Allah.

The Shaykh: No problem, but we are not free for something like this, because he asked questions with details, and I do not know if I should include them here as well.

The questioner: I will read it to you, Shaykh.

The Shaykh: No, it means you are hoping for the Shaykh, meaning.
The student: No, Shaykh, I want to spare you, I swear by Allah.
Another student : ... and the scientific expression is that.

The Shaykh: It does not take the place of the sunnah.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh: But you want a patch.
The student: No, it is not a patch, Shaykh.
Another student : The meaning is in the belly of the poet.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner: Shaykh, clarify this for us. They said that people abroad are agents who call them, they send out a certain amount, and then they send it to them, and they go out and distribute it.

The Shaykh: My brother, it is not permissible to give the amount; the food must be given. They send the amount, but the amount is not enough. It is given today and distributed an hour or two later, but purchasing the items and food with this amount...

The questioner: We appoint, what do we mean, we appoint one person to buy by fax, Shaykh.

The Shaykh: My brother, when do they appoint? When?

The questioner: Tonight, from tonight, they call now on the phone and say, buy for me, and he goes and buys, and it comes down by fax at dawn, Shaykh, meaning now it is the age of speed.

The Shaykh: What Allah willed, the age of speed of speech, not the application.
The student: I ask Allah to grant us the application.
Another student : O Lord of the worlds, O Allah, amen.

The Shaykh: And they did not direct us before the 'Id by a day... and in the case of a surplus beyond the needs of the people of the country, it is distributed abroad. Some objected to this method on the grounds that it is contrary to the practice of the Salaf. I asked the brother, what is the ruling? He is the head of the Society of Charity.

The questioner: No, he means he is responsible in it.

The Shaykh: Responsible in it.

The questioner: The Islamic Awareness Society.

The Shaykh: The point is, we said, my brother, these people say this is contrary to the practice of the Salaf. What do they want? These are the ones who want to do the work of the Salaf? They distribute barley, meaning what do they want? Our brothers do not have a method of taking and giving. Look, my brother, you urge us not to contradict the Salaf, and we accept that with head and eyes. So what do we do? Destruction is easy, but building is hard.

The questioner : Correct.

The Shaykh: What do we do? You want barley? No one eats barley, especially in those countries where... what is the blessing and arrogance, and so on. So what do those who want it by saying "you have contradicted the practice of the Salaf" want? He could not answer me because they do not take and give, and then they care about every shout... a shouter bellowing, what do they want with this matter?

The questioner : Okay, our Shaykh.

The Shaykh: And some objected to this method on the grounds that it is contrary to the practice of the Salaf. And when we resorted to this method to facilitate the work and collect zakah from people in their places through our representatives, inform us, may Allah reward you, of the permissibility of what we are doing. Yes, Shaykh.

The questioner: No, I seek forgiveness from Allah. I am a servant, and I will remain a servant to the scholars, and at their head is our Shaykh.

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you with good.

The questioner: They want, Shaykh, but this is your work. It does not contradict the practice of the Salaf, or this is prescribed, and that is all.

The Shaykh: I told him it is more than that, and I summarized the answer for him. The man said, may Allah reward you with good. We are now satisfied with this answer and will publish it, as long as you say that you came in the recent time to direct this question. And it should have been, indeed, presented before. So it should be this speaker, this one.

The questioner: I know he called afterwards in.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner: So he said to me, if you are presenting it, because they want to publish this in the country.
The student: Under the Shaykh’s signature, the paper is a fatwa.

The Shaykh: No, no, it is not a signature; it is an answer with the signature.

The questioner: Yes, a brief answer, Shaykh, even if it is one line.

The Shaykh: All right.

The questioner: And I can send it to them by fax tonight, and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.

The Shaykh: Is it not possible that tomorrow is 'Id?
The student: Yes, and it means ninety percent.

The Shaykh : Be patient.

The questioner: Yes, yes, yes, Shaykh, it is possible, but by fax at the moment...

The Shaykh: Okay, what is the benefit, my brother? And these are spending money, the ones who have more with them, in the opinion of the doctor here, what is it? The age of speed.

The questioner: No, he.

The Shaykh: Where are they going to buy and where are they going to distribute?

The questioner: Shaykh, they tasked us. We bought... also they sent some money and we bought, and now we are distributing it tonight.
The student: Not in the wasted time.

The questioner: Not in the wasted time, Shaykh.

The Shaykh: Yes, okay, in any case, but when I reach home I will read it. Do you have a fax?

The questioner: I have a.

The Shaykh: Good, the same phone number or not?

The questioner: Yes.
The student: But the problem, Shaykh, is that the fax paper does not go by another fax, so we.
The student: This one goes clearly, it goes.

The questioner: How do you guide me?
The student: You put it itself.

The questioner: The fax paper comes out by another fax.
The student: Ah, of course, or not?

The questioner: I tried, it did not come out.

The Shaykh: I want to understand what the difference is.

The questioner: Because of the type of paper, Shaykh. Fax paper is thin paper, meaning it does not...
The student: No, no, this will come out as a feature of the loading we put in...

The questioner: Okay, I remind you, Shaykh.

The Shaykh: Yes, may Allah reward you with good. Time is tight, meaning at most you have with us half an hour.