A guardian for orphans and widows has zakah on his wealth that he wants to pay to them, but he fears they will mishandle it, so he pays them a portion and disposes of the rest.
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The questioner : There are orphans and widows, and he has zakah on his wealth, and he fears that if he pays this money to the widows, they will mishandle it.
The Shaykh : What would happen?
The questioner : That they would mishandle it.
So he means, I pay them some of the money, and I dispose of the rest for their benefit?
The Shaykh : This is good, meaning that the guardian of an orphan does not pay him the money when money belonging to him comes to him; this is obligatory, because if he pays him the money, he will ruin it.
It is obligatory to keep the money with him, and when this orphan needs something, he spends on him from it. Here is a point that one must be aware of:
It is not permissible to take from the zakah for the orphans more than their need for one year, because if it exceeds the need of the year, they no longer deserve the zakah, and this is a matter one must be aware of.
Because many people take from the zakah for the orphans, and then they end up with a lot of money, and this is forbidden for them. For example, if it is estimated that ten thousand riyals suffice them for the year, it is not permissible to take ten thousand and one hundred, because the threshold of wealth that prevents taking zakah is for a person to find what suffices him for a year. Yes.
The questioner : Meaning, this money, even if it is the zakah of his own wealth, is the guardian's money?
The Shaykh : Yes, even if it is from the zakah of his wealth, he spends on them from it, and there is no harm in that. Yes.
The questioner : The question.
The Shaykh : Wait until your turn comes. Yes.
The Shaykh : What would happen?
The questioner : That they would mishandle it.
So he means, I pay them some of the money, and I dispose of the rest for their benefit?
The Shaykh : This is good, meaning that the guardian of an orphan does not pay him the money when money belonging to him comes to him; this is obligatory, because if he pays him the money, he will ruin it.
It is obligatory to keep the money with him, and when this orphan needs something, he spends on him from it. Here is a point that one must be aware of:
It is not permissible to take from the zakah for the orphans more than their need for one year, because if it exceeds the need of the year, they no longer deserve the zakah, and this is a matter one must be aware of.
Because many people take from the zakah for the orphans, and then they end up with a lot of money, and this is forbidden for them. For example, if it is estimated that ten thousand riyals suffice them for the year, it is not permissible to take ten thousand and one hundred, because the threshold of wealth that prevents taking zakah is for a person to find what suffices him for a year. Yes.
The questioner : Meaning, this money, even if it is the zakah of his own wealth, is the guardian's money?
The Shaykh : Yes, even if it is from the zakah of his wealth, he spends on them from it, and there is no harm in that. Yes.
The questioner : The question.
The Shaykh : Wait until your turn comes. Yes.