Is it better to take from the zakah funds to pay off my debt, or is it better that I be patient until the amount of the debt becomes available, even if that leads to a delay in repayment?

Machine translationRead the Arabic original

The questioner : A questioner says, “O honorable Shaykh, I have a debt. Is it better for me to take from the zakah to cover my debt, or is it better that I be patient until the amount of the debt becomes available to me, even if that leads to a delay in repaying it?”

The Shaykh : It is better for you to take from the zakah and pay off your debt, because the debtor is among those entitled to zakah, as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:

Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler

إنما الصدقات للفقراء والمساكين والعاملين عليها والمؤلفة قلوبهم وفي الرقاب والغارمين وفي سبيل الله وابن السبيل

[At-Tawbah 9:60]

So you are among those in debt. As long as this debt does not have a near-term repayment, take from the zakah and pay off the debt. Yes.

Source alathar.net

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

Similar fatwas