Is a Zakat Distributor Considered Among the ‘Amileen?
Source: Fatawa Arkan-e-Islam
❀ Question:
If a wealthy person sends his zakāt to someone and asks him to distribute it among those he deems deserving, does this agent (wakīl) qualify as one of the ‘āmilīn ‘alayhā (official zakāt workers) and thus become eligible to receive zakāt himself?
❀ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Ammā baʿd:
➊ Such a person is not considered among the ‘āmilīn ‘alayhā (zakāt workers entitled to a share of zakāt).
➋ He is merely a private agent (wakīl) appointed by an individual, not someone designated by the Islamic authority (state) for the official collection or distribution of zakāt.
❖ Linguistic and Contextual Clarification:
✔ The Qur’anic expression:
﴿وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا﴾
“…and those employed to administer it…”
(Surah At-Tawbah: 60)
— appears to suggest, through the preposition “عَلَيْهَا”, a form of authority or administrative responsibility. This implies that ‘āmilīn are official functionaries, not personal representatives.
✔ Therefore, someone who distributes zakāt on behalf of a specific individual is not included among the Qur’anic category of ‘āmilīn, even if he fulfills a similar task on a personal level.
Conclusion:
This type of private agent (wakīl) does not qualify as a zakāt recipient under the category of ‘āmilīn ‘alayhā, as he is not appointed by the state or public treasury, but by a private individual.
ھٰذَا مَا عِنْدِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
