Is it permissible to give the maid zakat alms, given that we pay her a salary continuously?
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The questioner : Regarding giving the maid from zakat, is it permissible, given that we pay her a salary continuously?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. There is no harm in a person giving his zakat to the servant in his household, whether male or female, if the servant has a family in his home country who are in need and the salary he receives is not sufficient for them. However, if the salary is sufficient for him, meaning sufficient for the family, then it is not permissible to give him from the zakat, due to the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[At-Tawbah 9:60] to the end of the verse, and due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Mu'adh ibn Jabal when he sent him to Yemen: Sahih al-Bukhari 1395. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. The second paragraph in the questioner's letter, Abu 'Abdullah says.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and those who follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgment. There is no harm in a person giving his zakat to the servant in his household, whether male or female, if the servant has a family in his home country who are in need and the salary he receives is not sufficient for them. However, if the salary is sufficient for him, meaning sufficient for the family, then it is not permissible to give him from the zakat, due to the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah]
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَاthen teach them that Allah has made it obligatory for them to pay the Zakat from their property and it is to be taken from the wealthy among them and given to the poor.
أعلمهم أن الله افترض عليهم صدقة في أموالهم تؤخذ من أغنيائهم وتُرد على فقرائهمThe questioner : May Allah reward you. The second paragraph in the questioner's letter, Abu 'Abdullah says.