1 and 2 - The Poor and the Needy
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The Shaykh : First, the poor and the needy are united by one thing: that they do not find what suffices them and their families for a year. This poor person or needy person does not find what suffices him and his family for a year. An example of this is a man whose income is five thousand per month. Five thousand riyals per month. But he spends six thousand every month, even with complete economy. Is this man poor? Yes, he is needy, meaning he falls into both of these categories? Yes, zakah is permissible for him, even though his salary is five thousand, but he has a large family, and five thousand is not sufficient for him; he needs six thousand. We say this man is poor; he is among those entitled to zakah, whether you call him poor or needy. Now, how much do we give him each year? Brother, stand up.
The student: Twelve thousand riyals.
The Shaykh : Twelve thousand riyals, because he needs one thousand riyals each month, so the total is twelve thousand.
Now, another man whose monthly income is five thousand and his expenses are four thousand. The income is like the first man's income, but the expenses are four thousand. Do we say, "O...
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Let me ask: Is it obligatory for him first? Is he given zakah or not? He is not given it. Why? Because he has sufficiency. Well done. Good.
A third man: his income is five thousand and his expenses are five thousand. Is he given it or not? He is not given it. Why? Because he has sufficiency and does not need to be given. So, the description that unites the poor and the needy is that a person does not find what suffices him and his family for a year.
Perhaps one of you will ask: What is the evidence for specifying it as one year?
We say: Because zakah revolves among the Muslims every lunar year. So he is given what suffices him for that year, and the second year he is given from new zakah. And so on, the Muslims lift each other up.
Now, a man whose expenses are five thousand and his income is five thousand, but he needs to get married; he is a young man who has not married. He needs to marry, and marriage costs fifty thousand. Do we give him from zakah what he needs to marry with? Come on, everyone, come on. We give him, we give him from zakah what he needs to marry with, because among the most important needs and necessities of a person is that he marries. Now, do we give him fifty thousand, or do we say five thousand, and after ten years he marries? Answer, everyone. Do we give him five thousand this year and five thousand the next, and after ten years he marries, or fifty thousand now? It appears the young men say, "Give him fifty thousand immediately." We give him fifty thousand immediately, and we complete it for you from the surplus, because marriage is among the most severe necessities, especially in this time, in our era, where trials are many and the stimulants of desire are many. For this reason, we see that he is given from zakah the mahr, even if it is much, so that he marries and chastes himself and chastes those he marries.
The student: Twelve thousand riyals.
The Shaykh : Twelve thousand riyals, because he needs one thousand riyals each month, so the total is twelve thousand.
Now, another man whose monthly income is five thousand and his expenses are four thousand. The income is like the first man's income, but the expenses are four thousand. Do we say, "O...
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Let me ask: Is it obligatory for him first? Is he given zakah or not? He is not given it. Why? Because he has sufficiency. Well done. Good.
A third man: his income is five thousand and his expenses are five thousand. Is he given it or not? He is not given it. Why? Because he has sufficiency and does not need to be given. So, the description that unites the poor and the needy is that a person does not find what suffices him and his family for a year.
Perhaps one of you will ask: What is the evidence for specifying it as one year?
We say: Because zakah revolves among the Muslims every lunar year. So he is given what suffices him for that year, and the second year he is given from new zakah. And so on, the Muslims lift each other up.
Now, a man whose expenses are five thousand and his income is five thousand, but he needs to get married; he is a young man who has not married. He needs to marry, and marriage costs fifty thousand. Do we give him from zakah what he needs to marry with? Come on, everyone, come on. We give him, we give him from zakah what he needs to marry with, because among the most important needs and necessities of a person is that he marries. Now, do we give him fifty thousand, or do we say five thousand, and after ten years he marries? Answer, everyone. Do we give him five thousand this year and five thousand the next, and after ten years he marries, or fifty thousand now? It appears the young men say, "Give him fifty thousand immediately." We give him fifty thousand immediately, and we complete it for you from the surplus, because marriage is among the most severe necessities, especially in this time, in our era, where trials are many and the stimulants of desire are many. For this reason, we see that he is given from zakah the mahr, even if it is much, so that he marries and chastes himself and chastes those he marries.