Source:
Fatāwā Muḥammadiyyah, Vol. 1, Page 568
Question:
I serve as a Post Warden in my local Civil Defense (Tanzīm Shahri Difāʿ) organization. The situation of this department is such that all volunteers must purchase their own uniforms, caps, boots, and other items from their personal funds. Moreover, they serve without any monetary compensation, purely for the sake of Allah and in service of the nation.
Since the work is unpaid and the uniforms are costly, many people are discouraged from joining, even those who sincerely wish to serve their country.
Given these circumstances — and considering the general economic hardship — is it permissible for me to use Zakat funds to buy uniforms for these volunteers, even though most of them come from well-off families?
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
It is not permissible to use Zakat funds to purchase uniforms for Civil Defense volunteers who belong to financially stable or affluent families, because they do not fall under any of the categories of Zakat recipients mentioned in the Qur’an — such as the poor (fuqarāʾ), the needy (masākīn), or others entitled to Zakat.
Therefore, spending Zakat in this way is invalid and does not fulfill the obligation of Zakat.
هٰذَا مَا عِندِي وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
This is what I hold to be correct, and Allah knows best what is right.
