The Obligation of the Agent to Act According to the Instructions of the Principal

The following message was received by the program from listener Abdul-Muhsin Ahmad from the city of Jeddah. Brother Abdul-Muhsin says in his message: I am the manager of commercial shops, and the owner of these shops allocates the zakah to me annually. He has designated people who come to him every year, and he gives them the zakah. Their names are registered with me in a list. The owner of the shops travels abroad in the month of Ramadan and says: Do not give the zakah to anyone whose name is not registered in the list. In this year, some of them did not come to take the zakah, and the zakah is with me. Please advise us, may Allah reward you?
Answer: You must rely on what the owner of the zakah told you, so you give it to the people he named and registered with you, and you do not give it to anyone else. This is because you are an agent, and the agent must adhere to what the principal said. However, if you know that some of them are wealthy and are not eligible for zakah, you advise him and say to him: So-and-so is not eligible, so-and-so is not eligible. And if some of them are delayed, you inform him. If some of them are delayed, what should I do? Should I give it to someone I see is poor? Or should he name other people for you to give it to? As for you, you do not act without his permission. His permission is necessary in this matter, because you are an agent, and the agent must adhere to the order of the principal. But you must offer advice if you know that some of the people named with you are not eligible due to their wealth, their disbelief, or other things that prevent them from receiving zakah. You point this out to the owner of the business so that you agree with him on the people to whom the zakah should be paid. As for those who are delayed, you preserve their share and keep it with you until you consult the owner of the zakah regarding this, and he will direct you to what he sees in this matter. Yes.