Ruling on Pretending to Be Shī‘a to Avoid Zakāh Deduction – Shar‘i Guidance
(Taken from: Aḥkām wa Masā’il – Issues of Buying & Selling, vol. 1, p. 383)
❖ Background of the Question
A man keeps his wealth in a bank in the form of cash. Before the zakāh year completes, he withdraws his money to avoid automatic zakāh deduction by the government, since:
- The government deducts zakāh from bank accounts and spends it in unknown avenues.
- As a result, his poor relatives are deprived of benefiting from his zakāh.
- To avoid this, he pretends to be Shī‘a (since Shī‘a are exempt from zakāh deductions by the government), while in reality, he remains a Sunnī in belief and practice.
- When the zakāh year completes, he himself distributes the zakāh among his relatives and the poor.
The question: Is this permissible?
❖ Answer
Alḥamdulillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh, ammā ba‘d:
① Keeping money in the bank:
Placing money in interest-based banks is ḥarām, since their very foundation is riba (interest) dealings. Depositing money in them is sinful.
② Reality of zakāh deductions by banks:
In truth, banks do not properly collect zakāh. What they deduct under the label of “zakāh” is taken from interest-based profits.
Evidence: After zakāh deduction, depositors often receive more than their original deposits, which shows that the deductions are not real zakāh but a portion of riba falsely labeled as zakāh.
③ Pretending to be Shī‘a to avoid this system is a serious sin, because:
- It involves lying.
- It involves attributing oneself to a false sect.
- It may cause misguidance for others who see him associated with Shī‘ism.
- It falls under taqiyyah (hypocrisy) and deception.
❖ Conclusion
✔ Depositing money in interest-based banks is sinful.
✘ Pretending to be Shī‘a to avoid deductions is an even greater crime, involving multiple sins: lying, false religious affiliation, misguidance, and hypocrisy.
✔ The correct way: keep wealth in a permissible manner and pay zakāh directly to rightful recipients.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
