I am the imam of a mosque, and zakah funds come to me to distribute to those who are entitled to them.

The questioner: Oh Shaykh, sometimes zakah funds come to me because, for example, I am the imam of a mosque, and some people trust me. They say, "By Allah, this is zakah money, on the basis that I will put it in the hands of the eligible recipients." So I distribute it, but sometimes I delay it. For example, I might delay it for a month because I know that such-and-such a family, whom I give to regularly, is receiving, say, this month's portion. So I save it for them, meaning, after two weeks or so, I give them the cash. This issue of delaying it is the question. The second question is that sometimes, with some relatives, I know, for example, a relative of mine in such-and-such a place is poor. Sometimes I hesitate whether to give to him or not.

The Shaykh: No, if you know he is eligible in both aspects, the material aspect and the moral aspect, then give to him. Here comes the reward of maintaining family ties and the reward of charity. But if you are giving to him because he is your relative.
The student: No, that is not the case.

The Shaykh: Excuse me, you have no right to say "no" to money that is not yours.
The student: Please excuse us, oh Shaykh.

The Shaykh: The contagion is clearly strong.
The student : Yes.

The Shaykh: So the point is, you do not give to him because he is your relative. There are others who are more deserving of this charity than the one who is closer to you by blood, because kinship in religion, righteousness, and piety is stronger than kinship by lineage. If both are present, a relative by lineage and a relative in conduct, then that is better. But I want to draw your attention to the fact that this zakah which you are delaying with you must be known to you. I mean, if it comes to you after a long life, as they say, certainty knows that this money is not your property until you inherit it, if that is what you are keeping, or is it between you and your Lord?
The student: No, no, it is known to me here in the house. I mean, it is known to me in the house.
Another student: Basically, I am the one who came out of your register.
The student: On Thursday, if Allah wills, I would like to break the fast with our fasting brothers, and I would like you to be present with the brothers.
The student: On the coming Thursday?
Another student: Excuse me, excuse me, on Thursday I am traveling on Monday, tomorrow.

The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: Are you not going to Aqaba?
Another student: No, not Aqaba...
The student: Or delay your travel, make it Friday.
Another student: No, no, it is not needed...

The Shaykh: Are you traveling by car or by plane?
The student: No, by plane.

The Shaykh: Where is your travel to?
The student: Riyadh.

The Shaykh: Riyadh.
The student: He works there.

The Shaykh: Now you are settled in Riyadh.
The student: I migrated from America to Riyadh.

The Shaykh: Do you understand, you are settled in Riyadh.
The student: I work as a religious guide in a company for one thousand and one hundred dinars per month.

The Shaykh : What Allah willed.
The student: And a car and gasoline.

The Shaykh: One thousand and what?
The student: And one hundred dinars.

The Shaykh: Dinar, not riyal.
The student: Dinar.

The Shaykh : What Allah willed.
The student: And I married the second one, and I want you to pray for me now, I am marrying the third one.

The Shaykh: No, I want you, I married me to the second one.
The student: This is the first time I have heard this from a Shaykh.

The Shaykh: ... the second one will be my secretary.
The student: The word "secretary" is ambiguous.
Another student: This is apparently, oh Shaykh... car rental offices.

The Shaykh: We do not want a secretary in the modern style, we want a secretary in the Salafi style.
The student: Salafi.
Another student: Shaykh Mubarak.
The student: We all want secretaries, oh Shaykh.

The Shaykh : How?
The student: We all want secretaries, by Allah.

The Shaykh: But there is a big difference. I sit until twelve o'clock, until one o'clock at night. The atmosphere is quiet, and I have no coming and going, and the questions end at eleven o'clock. So I want one who will give me such-and-such a book, read such-and-such a research for me, and so on...
The student: Umm al-Fadl.

The Shaykh: Umm al-Fadl, may Allah bless you. First, she is not cultured, and second, she may be older than me, but she is younger than me.
The student: I mean, do you want us to search for you?

The Shaykh: No, no.
The student: You have gotten us into trouble, oh Shaykh.
Another student: ...

The Shaykh: All right.
The student: You have gotten us into trouble, oh Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: You have gotten us into trouble.

The Shaykh: You have gotten us into trouble, you have gotten us into trouble in good.
The student: Praise be to Allah, a student told me.
Another student: By Allah, oh Shaykh, we are ready to do the service.
The student: He said, our Shaykh, Shaykh Mubarak, married in Yemen.

The Shaykh: A student of his is telling you.
The student: He tells me, he says he married a young bride. So on the second day he came to his lesson, and this one asked him... he said to him, "How did you find the wife? She is fourteen years old." He said, he is in his sixties, if not entering his seventies, yes. More energetic...

The Shaykh: Okay, my dear, what is your question?
The student : That is it.

The Shaykh : That is it.
The student: We did not agree.
Another student: We did not agree.

The Shaykh: This is me asking him, he said, that is it.
The student: No, no, may Allah guide you.
Another student: Tomorrow, if Allah wills.