What is the ruling on delaying the distribution of zakah to the poor by one or two months?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : I am a man who goes out with the harvesters, and I harvest my crop, and I want to distribute my zakah. I cannot distribute the zakah until the harvest comes in...
The Shaykh : You cannot distribute the zakah?
Another questioner : He has zakah due on him.
The Shaykh : Yes?
Another questioner : Yes, yes.
Another questioner : He has zakah due on him?
Another questioner : Yes, yes.
...
The Shaykh : Yes, when are you able to look at the zakah?
The questioner : After the harvest comes in.
The Shaykh : I mean, how long is that?
The questioner : Two months, I mean two months, a month and a half, two months, a month and a half.
The Shaykh : Why are you not able to?
The questioner : Because I have a harvest.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : I want to harvest my crop and put it in the house, and I want to go out with the harvesters, so that when I finish the work with the harvesters, I can go back and look at the poor and be able to distribute it, so that I can carry it... If I want my time and... the zakah is set aside, and I come to distribute it to those who are entitled to it, I would have to stop the harvest work, and no one would take my place in the harvest.
The Shaykh : Okay, so does that mean the zakah you want to distribute, you have not distinguished it or separated it either?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Distinguished it?
The questioner : ... Yes.
The Shaykh : The people here are saying: he has not distinguished it.
The questioner : I mean... it is all mixed together, the grain is in the sacks, we have it in the sacks.
The Shaykh : Ah, in the sacks, yes.
The questioner : ... in the sacks, what comes to us... exactly, and I want to take ten percent from it.
The Shaykh : Okay, when you want to take the zakah, do you take it from what remains with you, or where do you get the grain you want to distribute from?
The questioner : From what remains.
The Shaykh : From what remains with you.
The questioner : Yes, or he...
The Shaykh : I did not understand you, or what is it?
Another questioner : ... .
The questioner : If the amount is twenty percent, it comes out to thirty sacks, forty sacks, like that many sacks.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is what I asked you about.
The questioner : When they are off the thresher, I carry them and put them aside from the same crop itself.
The Shaykh : Then you distribute them?
The questioner : After the... harvest, I look at the poor, like that, if they are entitled, I distribute them, so does this delay involve anything?
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it, but we researched this matter a while ago, and it is like this, He - Exalted is He - said:.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so according to what you are saying, or some of the brothers are saying, you are delaying them, perhaps for a month to two months, until what? You free yourself for the poor and the needy, and distribute this grain you separated for them. Yes, you mean, are you guaranteed, taking a pledge from the Lord of the Worlds, that you will live for two more months and be able to distribute the zakah? You do not know,[Luqman 31:34], so for that reason, because a person does not know whether his lifespan is long or short, he must hasten to perform this obligatory duty. We were talking about Hajj, that there are people for whom Hajj is obligatory this year; they tell you: yes, next year, the year after that; why? The man is not free, he is busy, and the work of this world does not end, next year and the year after that, people do not see this man except that he died and did not perform Hajj to the House of Allah the Sacred! Is this happening or not?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Okay, so we must be on the guarantee that this grain we separated, we are not surprised by the coming of the term and the zakah remains on our necks, and we meet Allah - Mighty and Majestic - in disobedience to His command,[Al-An'am 6:141]; and therefore, if there is a necessity for delay, it is necessary to take precautions so that the zakah is actually distributed.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, if this is done, it is permissible.
Eid Abbasi : The precaution is to entrust people.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : He entrusts people, his son, his child.
The questioner : We set it aside, and we say: this is for the poor.
The Shaykh : Yes.
Another questioner : Why are you not able to know the poor from the beginning, you... you can know the poor from the beginning, on the same day you harvested, you distribute it on that day?
The questioner : Oh brother, oh brothers, in our village we need to form a committee, we form a committee in the mosque - for example - oh brothers, come, how many poor people are there? So-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so... we make a list of the poor, this one has five, this one has ten, this one has seven, this one is extremely poor, this one has such and such; this is his opinion, this will be difficult for me... until we coordinate it.
The Shaykh : What is difficult for you?
The questioner : Do it from the beginning...
The Shaykh : The professor is saying that there is a method.
The questioner : And it changes every day, there are people who are poor this year and become rich tomorrow.
The Shaykh : Before the harvest, before the harvest.
The questioner : In the harvest season, we start, we begin the harvest, we count the poor, we register those of the poor who have not received [their share], we know them...
The questioner : This is reasonable, we do... and then that the money is limited, I mean... the poor, so if Allah wills, something happens to him...
The Shaykh : In any case, Professor, the command of Allah remains in effect, or... this is going, it is going.
The questioner : The right of the poor is guaranteed, but then what happens...
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... I mean, we have two things, there is a guarantee of the right reaching [its destination] so that we are free from the sin of not paying zakah, and there is hastening; that is: paying the zakah at the earliest possible time, this requires precaution to hasten, and the suggestion the Professor Ali is making is a sound suggestion; I mean, before the harvest, one or two Fridays, you gathered, you who are the people of opinion and knowledge of the town and its people and its poor, and you made a list, the right of the poor came out, you sent it, the problem is over, there is no longer a need for research and searching.
The questioner : It may be... he also needs it.
The questioner : One hour for him is very difficult... the harvest has great hardship... in it.
The Shaykh : Abu Rada, when can we go?
The questioner : ... a moment, an hour...
The Shaykh : An hour, now it is four-thirty, is it not?
The questioner : Five, I mean.
The Shaykh : No, we have an agreement on a time.
The questioner : When is your time there?
...
The Shaykh : No, we do not want to go at night, I mean.
The questioner : No, of course.
Another questioner: Five.
The Shaykh : Five, we go, okay.
The Shaykh : You cannot distribute the zakah?
Another questioner : He has zakah due on him.
The Shaykh : Yes?
Another questioner : Yes, yes.
Another questioner : He has zakah due on him?
Another questioner : Yes, yes.
...
The Shaykh : Yes, when are you able to look at the zakah?
The questioner : After the harvest comes in.
The Shaykh : I mean, how long is that?
The questioner : Two months, I mean two months, a month and a half, two months, a month and a half.
The Shaykh : Why are you not able to?
The questioner : Because I have a harvest.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : I want to harvest my crop and put it in the house, and I want to go out with the harvesters, so that when I finish the work with the harvesters, I can go back and look at the poor and be able to distribute it, so that I can carry it... If I want my time and... the zakah is set aside, and I come to distribute it to those who are entitled to it, I would have to stop the harvest work, and no one would take my place in the harvest.
The Shaykh : Okay, so does that mean the zakah you want to distribute, you have not distinguished it or separated it either?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Distinguished it?
The questioner : ... Yes.
The Shaykh : The people here are saying: he has not distinguished it.
The questioner : I mean... it is all mixed together, the grain is in the sacks, we have it in the sacks.
The Shaykh : Ah, in the sacks, yes.
The questioner : ... in the sacks, what comes to us... exactly, and I want to take ten percent from it.
The Shaykh : Okay, when you want to take the zakah, do you take it from what remains with you, or where do you get the grain you want to distribute from?
The questioner : From what remains.
The Shaykh : From what remains with you.
The questioner : Yes, or he...
The Shaykh : I did not understand you, or what is it?
Another questioner : ... .
The questioner : If the amount is twenty percent, it comes out to thirty sacks, forty sacks, like that many sacks.
The Shaykh : Yes, that is what I asked you about.
The questioner : When they are off the thresher, I carry them and put them aside from the same crop itself.
The Shaykh : Then you distribute them?
The questioner : After the... harvest, I look at the poor, like that, if they are entitled, I distribute them, so does this delay involve anything?
The Shaykh : There is nothing wrong with it, but we researched this matter a while ago, and it is like this, He - Exalted is He - said:
And hasten to the forgiveness of your Lord
وَسَارِعُوا إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, so according to what you are saying, or some of the brothers are saying, you are delaying them, perhaps for a month to two months, until what? You free yourself for the poor and the needy, and distribute this grain you separated for them. Yes, you mean, are you guaranteed, taking a pledge from the Lord of the Worlds, that you will live for two more months and be able to distribute the zakah? You do not know,
And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die
وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُThe questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Okay, so we must be on the guarantee that this grain we separated, we are not surprised by the coming of the term and the zakah remains on our necks, and we meet Allah - Mighty and Majestic - in disobedience to His command,
give its due [zakah] on the day of its harvest
وَآتُوا حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Okay, if this is done, it is permissible.
Eid Abbasi : The precaution is to entrust people.
The questioner : Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : He entrusts people, his son, his child.
The questioner : We set it aside, and we say: this is for the poor.
The Shaykh : Yes.
Another questioner : Why are you not able to know the poor from the beginning, you... you can know the poor from the beginning, on the same day you harvested, you distribute it on that day?
The questioner : Oh brother, oh brothers, in our village we need to form a committee, we form a committee in the mosque - for example - oh brothers, come, how many poor people are there? So-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so, so-and-so... we make a list of the poor, this one has five, this one has ten, this one has seven, this one is extremely poor, this one has such and such; this is his opinion, this will be difficult for me... until we coordinate it.
The Shaykh : What is difficult for you?
The questioner : Do it from the beginning...
The Shaykh : The professor is saying that there is a method.
The questioner : And it changes every day, there are people who are poor this year and become rich tomorrow.
The Shaykh : Before the harvest, before the harvest.
The questioner : In the harvest season, we start, we begin the harvest, we count the poor, we register those of the poor who have not received [their share], we know them...
The questioner : This is reasonable, we do... and then that the money is limited, I mean... the poor, so if Allah wills, something happens to him...
The Shaykh : In any case, Professor, the command of Allah remains in effect, or... this is going, it is going.
The questioner : The right of the poor is guaranteed, but then what happens...
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : ... I mean, we have two things, there is a guarantee of the right reaching [its destination] so that we are free from the sin of not paying zakah, and there is hastening; that is: paying the zakah at the earliest possible time, this requires precaution to hasten, and the suggestion the Professor Ali is making is a sound suggestion; I mean, before the harvest, one or two Fridays, you gathered, you who are the people of opinion and knowledge of the town and its people and its poor, and you made a list, the right of the poor came out, you sent it, the problem is over, there is no longer a need for research and searching.
The questioner : It may be... he also needs it.
The questioner : One hour for him is very difficult... the harvest has great hardship... in it.
The Shaykh : Abu Rada, when can we go?
The questioner : ... a moment, an hour...
The Shaykh : An hour, now it is four-thirty, is it not?
The questioner : Five, I mean.
The Shaykh : No, we have an agreement on a time.
The questioner : When is your time there?
...
The Shaykh : No, we do not want to go at night, I mean.
The questioner : No, of course.
Another questioner: Five.
The Shaykh : Five, we go, okay.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.