Using Zakāt Funds for Publishing Islamic Magazines: Sharʿī Guidance
Reference: Ahkam wa Masail, Zakāt Issues, Vol. 1, Page 273
❖ Question:
A monthly Islamic magazine (for example, Payghām) is published, and zakāt funds are being used for its printing and distribution. A student of Madinah University mentioned that using zakāt funds for such pamphlets or magazines is not permissible. The question is: Is it Sharʿīly correct to spend zakāt funds on the publication of such a magazine?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
◈ Qur’anic Principle
Allah ﷻ has specified the categories entitled to zakāt in the Qur’an:
﴿إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَٰتُ لِلۡفُقَرَآءِ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱلۡعَٰمِلِينَ عَلَيۡهَا وَٱلۡمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمۡ وَفِي ٱلرِّقَابِ وَٱلۡغَٰرِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِۖ فَرِيضَةٗ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٞ﴾
(at-Tawbah: 60)
Meaning:
“Charity (zakāt) is only for the poor, the needy, those employed to collect it, those whose hearts are to be reconciled, for freeing slaves, for those in debt, in the cause of Allah, and for the stranded traveler. This is an obligation from Allah, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”
◈ Conditions for Using Zakāt in Publishing
◈ If an Islamic magazine (Payghām or any other Islamic publication) is exclusively distributed among those eight categories of zakāt recipients, then zakāt funds may be spent on its publication.
◈ However, if such publications are distributed among general people, including both zakāt-eligible and non-eligible individuals, then it is not permissible to use zakāt funds for this purpose.
◈ Reason
Because Allah ﷻ has clearly restricted the expenditure of zakāt with the words:
﴿إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ﴾ (at-Tawbah: 60)
“Indeed, ṣadaqāt (zakāt) are only for (those mentioned)….”
Thus, spending zakāt funds outside these specified categories is invalid.
Hādhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam biṣ-ṣawāb.
