Who is a Faqir or Miskeen?
Imam an-Nawawi rahimahullah said:
“In the reality of the Faqir who deserves a share of the Zakat, Shafi’ee and his Companions said: he is the one who is not capable to suffice his situation not with money or work. His Companions explained it saying: he is one who has no money nor work at all or one who does not have what is sufficent for his situation. Such that he does not own except a little in relation to what he needs for example he needs ten dirhams a day and he only owns two or three, then he is a Faqir. This is because this amount does not suffice the situation. Baghawi and others said: even if he has a house to live in or clothes to wear and adorn himself, then he is a Faqir and that does not prevent his poverty and need. ar-Raafi’ee said: they did not concern with this person’s servant which he needs to serve him and it is remaining foundations connecting to the house…As for the work, our companions said: the condition for his entitlement to the share of the Faqir is that he does not have earnings which suffice the situation as we mentioned in regards to the moneyand it is not a condition to be not earning. They said: the considered wage is one that is befitting his condition and chivalry as for what does not befit him, then is like no work“[al-Majmoo’ (6/171)]
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:.
“The Fuqaraa here is the one who has less than half or does not have anything. How is it possible we know this? So a person may have expenses for the year amounting to 12 000 riyaal, then the prices increase, so the expenses are 15 000 or 20 000? The answer: a person needs what suffices him according to customs apparent nowadays. Not the according to the future because the future is in the hand of Allah. So if something happens, everything that happens has a discussion.
It is possible that amount can be determined by the monthly salary. So if what he earns annually is five thousand and he spends 10 000 in a year, then in this situation he is a miskeen because he has half of his expenses. If his annual salary is 4000 and his expenses are 10 000 then he is a Faqir. If he does not have employment or work, then he is a Faqir…What is considered is not what suffices him alone but what suffices those he finances. What is considered is not what suffices of food, drink, housing, or clothing, but it includes even chastity: that is marriage. If it obligatory upon a person to get married and he has what suffices him of food, drink, clothing, housing, however he does not have a mahr, then we give him what he can marry with even if that is a lot. If a person has what suffices him from food, drink, clothing, housing, however he is a student of knowledge who needs books bought for him. Then we give him what he needs of books because if he is given nourishment for the body then he is also given nourishment for the soul and heart. However, he is not given what will fill his big library, but what will fulfill his need for seeking knowledge only. If he has what suffices him of food, drink, housing, and marriage however he needs a car, then we give him a what will allow him to rent a car and we do not buy it for him because if we buy it for him, buying it will cost a lot. It is possible to give this amount to another Faqeer…“[Sharh Mumti’ (6/220-221)]
So a few issues above have been covered.
The issue of paying the staff of a charitable organization from the Zakat:
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:
Question: The workers in a charitable organization, can they be given the money from Zakat?
Shaikh: If the workers are appointed by the government
Questioner: However, from the charitable organizations they earn a salary that suffices?
Shaikh: It is not allowed except from the government because the workers regarding it are workers from the government. From the ruler. So like this, it comes in the Quran in the genitive case saying (عليها) and not (فيها) indicating that it is necessary for them authority and there is no authority for them except what comes from the ruler who appoints them”
[Liqaa Bab al-Maftooh (13/141)]
The same was said by the Lajnah here: [https://www.alifta.net/fatawa/fatawaDetails.aspx?View=Page&PageID=13502&PageNo=1&BookID=3]
In terms of eligibility, then whoever appears to be a Faqir or Miskeen, then Zakat can be given to them even if their status is unknown. However if they appear untruthful, then they should not be given Zakat.
The Lajnah mentioned that here: [https://alifta.com/Fatawa/FatawaChapters.aspx?languagename=en&View=Page&PageID=104&PageNo=1&BookID=24]
Also Shaikh Bin Baz rahimahullah discussed it here: [https://alifta.com/Fatawa/FatawaSubjects.aspx?languagename=en&View=Page&HajjEntryID=0&HajjEntryName=&RamadanEntryID=0&RamadanEntryName=&NodeID=1201&PageID=2689&SectionID=14&SubjectPageTitlesID=25029&MarkIndex=3&0#PoorwhoshouldreceiveZakah(obligatorycharity]
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:
“For example a man comes and asks and he has the signs of poverty. So you give him from the Zakat and a person comes and says: What did you give him? You say: Zakat. He says: This man is wealthier than you, then you are rewarded [for what you gave]. This is because we do not have [anything to judge by] except what is apparent and this is like those who ask at schools or masaaajid, then we give them based on their apparent [form]. The evidence for that is the story of the man who gave sadaqah one night. He went out and night to give sadaqah so he gave it to a man. So he awoke with the people saying: a rich man was given sadaqah last night. So he said: All praise is due to Allah for rich man and he saw it to be a calamity. Then he went out another time and gave sadaqah to a prostitute and the he awoke with the people saying: a prostitute was given sadaqah last night. So he said: All praise is due to Allah for rich man and the prostitute, then he went out a third time and gave sadaqah to a thief. So he awoke with the people saying: a thief was given sadaqah last night. So he said: All praise is due to Allah for rich man, prostitute, and the thief. So it was said: As for you sadaqah, it was accepted. As for the rich man perhaps he will remember Allah and give charity. As for the prostitute perhaps she will be chaste as for the thief, then perhaps he will be sufficed with what he was given from stealing [Bukhari no. 1421 and Muslim no. 1022]….And this statement is closer to the truth because if he gave it to one whom he thought was from the people of Zakat along with making ijtihaad and searching and he was in fact not from its people, then the Zakat is rewarded. If the reward is established if given to a rich one thinking he is poor, then analogy can be made with it for the remaining categories“[Sharh Mumti’ (6/264/265)]
Giving Zakat to a layman Raafidi or Shi’i
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen hafidhuhallah was asked:
Question: Is it allowed to give Zakat to the people of innovation?
Answer: “Innovation is of two types:
First type: innovation which removes someone from the religion of Islaam. So it is not allowed to give Zakat to the one described with this. For example, the one who believes that the Prophet (ﷺ) answers the call of the one who calls or that he can seek refugee with the Prophet (ﷺ) or believes that Allah with His essence is in every place or denies Allah’s loftiness over HIs creation or what resembles that of innovation.
Second type: innovation which is less than that which its companion does not reach disbelief. If its companion is from the Muslims, then it is allowed to give Zakat if he is from the categories which Allah mentioned in His Book” [Majmoo’ al-Fatwa wa Rasaail (18/279)]
Government Assistance
If someone is receiving government assistance that covers their expenses, then it is not allowed to give them Zakat.
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:
“As for the Fuqaraaa and the Masaakeen, then they are those who are in need and do not have what suffices them and their family: either by money, or work and earnings. So they are given what suffices them and their family for the duration of one year according the well-known opinion of the mathab of Imam Ahmad rahimahullah. As for the one who has money that suffices him and his family or work which he earns what suffices him, or suffices his family from a government pension or the likes, then he is not a Faqeer and it is not allowed for him to take the Zakat due to this reason. This is because he is not deserving of it. So it is upon him to praise Allah for His blessings and suffice what with Allah enriched him with, for verily the Zakat is from the filth of the wealth of the people…” [Majmoo’ al-Fatwa wa-Rasaail (18/568)]
So if someone applying for Zakat is already being sufficed through government assistance, then it is not allowed for him/her to receive Zakat.
Buying a House of a Faqeer from Zakat Money
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:
“I do not see the permissibility of giving Zakat to buy a house for a Faqeer and that is because buying a house will take a lot of money. If the purpose is to cover the need of the Faqeer, then a house is rented for him from Zakat. I will give you an example: if a man who is a Faqeer can rent a house for ten years for 10 000 riyaal and if we were to buy it for him we could not find it except for 100 000 riyal, then it is not allowed that we buy that for him and prevent other Faqeers. We say a house is rented for the Faqeer and if a year finishes and he is still Faqeer, the we rent it for him a second year. As for buying a house from the Zakat, then I do not see its permissibility except if one of the People of Knowledge passes a verdict for the permissibility of that…” [Fatawa Noor ‘ala Darb (2/10)]
Zakat for Medical Treatment
It is allowed to give Zakat for medical treatment provided that someone cannot find any other means to cover the costs, including borrowing money from relatives or friends.
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:
“A person’s need for treatment is urgent. So if we find a sick person who needs treatment, however, he does not have the money to pay for the treatment then there is no harm that we give him Zakat because the purpose of Zakat is to fulfill the need“[Majmoo’ al-Fatawa wa-Rasaail (18/242)]
This is also the opinion of the Lajnah, however, they suggest first trying to borrow the money. See here: [https://www.alifta.net/fatawa/fatawaDetails.aspx?languagename=ar&View=Page&PageID=13498&PageNo=1&BookID=3]
Paying Zakat for School Fees or Adult Education
The Lajnah passed the following fatwa on the impermissibility of spending Zakat money on School scholarships found here: [https://alifta.com/Search/ResultDetails.aspx?languagename=en&lang=en&view=result&fatwaNum=&FatwaNumID=&ID=13499&searchScope=7&SearchScopeLevels1=&SearchScopeLevels2=&highLight=1&SearchType=exact&SearchMoesar=false&bookID=&LeftVal=0&RightVal=0&simple=&SearchCriteria=allwords&PagePath=&siteSection=1&searchkeyword=116117105116105111110#firstKeyWordFound]
Shaikh Ibn ul-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullah said:
“As for if he is a full time student seeking worldly knowledge, then we do not give him from the Zakat. We say: you now are working in the worldly life and it is possible that you earn in the worldly life thorough employment. So we do not give Zakat” [Majmoo’ al-Fatawa wa-Rasaail (18/410)]
So someone looking for adult education, then he/she would need to pay for it themselves and not receive Zakat for that.
Using Zakat for School Expenses
The Permanent Committee was asked:
Question: Is it allowed in the legislation to distribute Zakat in the expenses of an Islamic School and the salary of the teachers and to fulfill the needs for which the school is established?
Answer: “It is not allowed to distribute the Zakat in the expenses of an Islamic school except if it is given to the poor ones of the teachers or other workers or students due to their poverty” [Fatawa Lajnah ad-Daimah (10/41)]
And Allah Knows Best
Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan
