Can Zakat Be Spent on Mosque Construction? ❖
Source: Fatawa Arkan-e-Islam
❀ Question:
Can zakat be spent on building mosques under the category of ﴿وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللّٰهِ﴾ (In the Path of Allah)?
❀ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
➊ The construction of mosques does not fall under the category of ﴿وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللّٰهِ﴾ in the context of zakat distribution.
➋ The mufassirīn (exegetes) have restricted the meaning of ﴿فِي سَبِيلِ اللّٰهِ﴾ to jihad (fighting in the path of Allah), and not to every virtuous deed.
❖ Reasoning Based on Tafsīr and Principle of Restriction:
✔ If we were to interpret ﴿فِي سَبِيلِ اللّٰهِ﴾ as referring to every good deed, then the exclusive limitation found in the verse:
﴿إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ…﴾ (Surah At-Tawbah: 60)
“Indeed, zakat expenditures are only for the poor…”
— would lose its purpose.
✔ The word “إِنَّمَا” (Indeed, only) is used for ḥaṣr (exclusivity), meaning that zakat is to be given only to the specified categories, excluding all others.
✔ If we allow spending zakat on all general righteous causes, including mosque construction, the purpose of exclusivity in this verse would become meaningless.
❖ Practical Implications and Caution:
➌ Moreover, if mosque construction and similar good causes were made valid avenues for zakat, then:
✔ People would divert their zakat funds toward public projects, neglecting the actual needy—poor and destitute individuals.
✔ Since miserliness is common among people, they would prefer such projects and fail to fulfill their obligation toward those in genuine need.
✔ This would result in continuous suffering for the poor, who are the primary recipients of zakat.
Conclusion:
✔ Zakat cannot be spent on building mosques, as it does not fall under the specified categories mentioned in the verse of zakat, nor under the correct interpretation of ﴿فِي سَبِيلِ اللّٰهِ﴾.
ھٰذَا مَا عِنْدِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
