We are young men in Kuwait, and we have a zakah fund. Letters come to us from abroad asking for help, especially from the oppressed. May we spend the zakah funds on them?

The questioner : Shaykh, regarding...

The Shaykh : Regarding what?

The questioner : Regarding the zakah fund.

The Shaykh : Excuse me, what...?

The questioner : Young men... set up a zakah fund.

The Shaykh : A zakah fund specific to a group of young men, with no connection to the state. Fine.

The questioner : Letters come from outside Kuwait asking for help. If it is... meaning the zakah funds...

The Shaykh : Did you not attend the lesson yesterday?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : And you did not attend, nor did you hear a word about this issue?

The questioner : ...for the da'wah.

The Shaykh : ...I have spoken on this more than once: it is not permissible to pay zakah except in one of the eight categories. All eight categories are clear and evident. But the second-to-last category, which is the saying of Allah the Exalted , causes confusion for some people among contemporary writers, including Muslims, who interpret this phrase with a broad meaning. In my opinion, this broadening of the interpretation is among the newly invented matters, because the meaning of "and in the cause of Allah" does not go beyond jihad in the cause of Allah and Hajj in the cause of Allah, and more than that is not mentioned in the interpretation of the Salaf al-Salih. Therefore, it is not permissible to spend zakah funds except in the zakah categories mentioned in this verse, including jihad in the cause of Allah and Hajj to... As for charitable projects, these must be established from voluntary donations from funds other than the obligatory zakah funds, because you all know the verse , which begins with "inna" (only), which is a tool of restriction. It is as if the verse means: we say, do not spend the obligatory zakah except in these eight categories. And without doubt, what you asked about is not a category of zakah. However, if there is a legitimate jihad taking place, it is in the cause of Allah without doubt. Or if there is a poor man who cannot afford Hajj or needs assistance, and you give him money to reach the House of Allah, then that is in the cause of Allah. This is the answer to what you asked.