Is it permissible to give the alms of breaking the fast to charitable associations? And did the Muslim government collect it as a type of zakah?
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Eid Abbasi : Is it permissible to give the alms of breaking the fast to charitable associations? And did the Muslim government collect it as a type of zakah?
The Shaykh : The Shaykh : The alms of breaking the fast was not collected in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or in the time of the righteous predecessors in the way that the zakah of crops and livestock is collected. Likewise, the obligatory zakah of money was not collected; rather, the matter was left to the rich person upon whom zakah is obligatory, and he would distribute what was obligatory upon him in his money. Similarly, it was not part of the practice of the early period to collect the alms of breaking the fast; rather, every person of legal age would pay it out. As for giving this zakah, the alms of breaking the fast, to charitable associations today, that depends on an important matter, and I do not know if these associations are concerned with applying it. We all know that it is not permissible to pay out the alms of breaking the fast more than two or three days before the day of the festival. Paying it out at the beginning of Ramadan or in the middle of Ramadan, as many individuals do, is contrary to the Sunnah. So, if the associations mentioned take this aspect into account, and collect these alms of breaking the fast, and do not pay them out except before the festival, then there is nothing wrong with appointing these associations as agents for this alms, on the basis that it is presumed that they are more knowledgeable than the one paying zakah about the poor and the needy in that neighborhood.
But I fear, and what I fear most, is that they may adopt a view that broadens the permissibility of paying out zakah many days before the festival. This is from one aspect. From another aspect, they may collect it in the association's fund and add it to the principal of the zakah collected with them, and pay it out, perhaps days after the festival, or perhaps months later. Therefore, the more cautious course is for the one paying zakah and the one paying the alms of breaking the fast to pay it out himself. First, he pays it out immediately before the festival, and this is the best. If he takes a dispensation, then one or two days before that. Then he places it in the hand of one he sees as being among those entitled to this zakah, and then he observes that the person is among the righteous. This is another aspect, and I do not know if the associations have the capacity to observe and apply this aspect, so that the one paying zakah is a helper to the people of good and the people of righteousness with the good and money he presents to them.
Other than that?
The Shaykh : The Shaykh : The alms of breaking the fast was not collected in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or in the time of the righteous predecessors in the way that the zakah of crops and livestock is collected. Likewise, the obligatory zakah of money was not collected; rather, the matter was left to the rich person upon whom zakah is obligatory, and he would distribute what was obligatory upon him in his money. Similarly, it was not part of the practice of the early period to collect the alms of breaking the fast; rather, every person of legal age would pay it out. As for giving this zakah, the alms of breaking the fast, to charitable associations today, that depends on an important matter, and I do not know if these associations are concerned with applying it. We all know that it is not permissible to pay out the alms of breaking the fast more than two or three days before the day of the festival. Paying it out at the beginning of Ramadan or in the middle of Ramadan, as many individuals do, is contrary to the Sunnah. So, if the associations mentioned take this aspect into account, and collect these alms of breaking the fast, and do not pay them out except before the festival, then there is nothing wrong with appointing these associations as agents for this alms, on the basis that it is presumed that they are more knowledgeable than the one paying zakah about the poor and the needy in that neighborhood.
But I fear, and what I fear most, is that they may adopt a view that broadens the permissibility of paying out zakah many days before the festival. This is from one aspect. From another aspect, they may collect it in the association's fund and add it to the principal of the zakah collected with them, and pay it out, perhaps days after the festival, or perhaps months later. Therefore, the more cautious course is for the one paying zakah and the one paying the alms of breaking the fast to pay it out himself. First, he pays it out immediately before the festival, and this is the best. If he takes a dispensation, then one or two days before that. Then he places it in the hand of one he sees as being among those entitled to this zakah, and then he observes that the person is among the righteous. This is another aspect, and I do not know if the associations have the capacity to observe and apply this aspect, so that the one paying zakah is a helper to the people of good and the people of righteousness with the good and money he presents to them.
Other than that?
Source
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