Source: “Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of the Qur’an and Hadith”, Volume 02
Is it permissible to use Zakat and other charitable funds for the following purposes:
Did the Noble Companions (may Allah’s blessings be upon them all) undertake such actions?
If they did, did they do so using Zakat and other forms of charity, or from state revenues (like Kharaj and Fay)?
And in cases where these categories were managed separately, would they reallocate funds when necessary, or would they abandon a cause due to the lack of provision in a specific category?
All of the above-mentioned needs and causes fall within the legitimate uses of Zakat funds. Additionally, in the time of the Prophet ﷺ and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, one-fifth of the war booty (Ghanimah) was also used for such purposes.
The leader of the community (Amir al-Jama‘ah) has the authority to distribute the funds as required based on the situation and necessity.
(Fatawa Thanaiyyah, Volume 1, Page 461)
❖ Question:
Is it permissible to use Zakat and other charitable funds for the following purposes:
- Repair or reconstruction of mosques or provision of essential items for them,
- Providing travel provisions for wayfarers,
- Supporting the upbringing of new Muslims,
- Fulfilling the needs of students and sponsoring those who support them,
- Providing medicines for destitute patients,
- Giving clothing to the unclothed,
- Providing food for the hungry,
- Offering basic support to the oppressed, and
- Assisting economically dependent women, men, and children,
- Promoting and spreading Islamic teachings.
Did the Noble Companions (may Allah’s blessings be upon them all) undertake such actions?
If they did, did they do so using Zakat and other forms of charity, or from state revenues (like Kharaj and Fay)?
And in cases where these categories were managed separately, would they reallocate funds when necessary, or would they abandon a cause due to the lack of provision in a specific category?
❖ Answer:
All of the above-mentioned needs and causes fall within the legitimate uses of Zakat funds. Additionally, in the time of the Prophet ﷺ and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, one-fifth of the war booty (Ghanimah) was also used for such purposes.
The leader of the community (Amir al-Jama‘ah) has the authority to distribute the funds as required based on the situation and necessity.
(Fatawa Thanaiyyah, Volume 1, Page 461)
