3 - The Worker on Zakah
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The Shaykh : The workers on it. Pay attention to the Qur'anic expression. The Qur'anic expression is one of the most precise expressions. Is it "workers on it" or "workers in it"? Is there a difference between them? Yes, there is a difference. The worker on a thing has a type of authority. The worker in a thing does not have authority.
Therefore, if we have camels for charity and there is a shepherd tending them, does this shepherd have a right to the zakah? Why? Because he is a worker in it. But those whom the one in authority appoints and the committee that the government tasks, saying, "Go to the people, assess their wealth, and take the zakah from them," what are these people? They are workers on it. Workers on it are given from the zakah, provided that they do not have a salary. If they have a salary from the state, they have no right to the zakah, because their salary suffices for their provision, and a salary means that this employee must work, whether in zakah or otherwise. But if he does not have a salary, and we form a non-salaried committee, non-salaried, we say, "Go to the people, take the zakah from them, assess it, and distribute it to its rightful recipients, or bring it to us." This person is given from the zakah. What is he called? What is he called?
The student: A worker on it.
The Shaykh : A worker on it. Are you sure? Okay, rest. He is called a worker on it. Have you seen? Is this worker on the zakah given from it even if he is wealthy? ... You are a jurist. He is given from it even if he is wealthy, because the poor and the needy were mentioned before him. The worker on it, if he is wealthy, but as long as he is not what? An employee who takes from the state's wealth. Is this what he is given from? But if he is wealthy in himself, he is given from the zakah the amount of his wage. Yes.
Therefore, if we have camels for charity and there is a shepherd tending them, does this shepherd have a right to the zakah? Why? Because he is a worker in it. But those whom the one in authority appoints and the committee that the government tasks, saying, "Go to the people, assess their wealth, and take the zakah from them," what are these people? They are workers on it. Workers on it are given from the zakah, provided that they do not have a salary. If they have a salary from the state, they have no right to the zakah, because their salary suffices for their provision, and a salary means that this employee must work, whether in zakah or otherwise. But if he does not have a salary, and we form a non-salaried committee, non-salaried, we say, "Go to the people, take the zakah from them, assess it, and distribute it to its rightful recipients, or bring it to us." This person is given from the zakah. What is he called? What is he called?
The student: A worker on it.
The Shaykh : A worker on it. Are you sure? Okay, rest. He is called a worker on it. Have you seen? Is this worker on the zakah given from it even if he is wealthy? ... You are a jurist. He is given from it even if he is wealthy, because the poor and the needy were mentioned before him. The worker on it, if he is wealthy, but as long as he is not what? An employee who takes from the state's wealth. Is this what he is given from? But if he is wealthy in himself, he is given from the zakah the amount of his wage. Yes.