Is one eligible for Zakat money in the following situation?

· 13 Muharram 1438 AH2 min readFatwa 36931English

Question

As Salaamualuikum.

I make dua that Mufti Saab is keeping well. May Allah reward Mufti Saab greatly for the service that is rendered to the Muslim community.

I have a question regarding the acceptance of Zakaat funds. I am a student studying overseas. At the beginning of the academic year, the total upfront payment is required to be paid to the University for fees. Accommodation as well as other living costs are incurred throughout the year.

For this academic year, I have borrowed a portion of the money to pay for fees, which has been paid for in total. I am however still required to pay for boarding, lodging, food and travel. I do not have this amount for the rest of the academic year with me. I was told that if I have commitments (liabilities) for my studies that totals to more than the money that I have, I can use Zakaat money to pay for these commitments. Is this correct?

I currently have in my possession a gold coin and a few thousand Rands.

Accommodation for the year is R46,000 of which I have paid only half thus far.

I have a debt of R30,000 that I have borrowed towards my fees.

JazaakAllahu khair

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Assalāmu ῾alaykum wa Rahmatullāhi Wabarakātuh

Jazakallah and Aameen to your duas. You have the following commitments:

R 30,000 outstanding fees

R 23,000(50%) accommodation fees

Food and travel expenses.

You also state you have a gold coin and some thousand rands. If the value of the gold coin and the cash on hand is lesser than R30, 000(debt due to fees), then you are eligible to accept zakat money for your other commitments. We did not include the balance of the accommodation fees as that is not due immediately and is not an immediate liability. We advise you to use the cash in hand before accepting zakat. [1]

And Allāh Ta῾āla Knows Best

Jibran Kadarkhan

Student Dārul Iftā

Mauritius

Checked and Approved by;

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[قال الحصكفي] (جَزْءُ مَالٍ) خَرَجَ الْمَنْفَعَةُ، فَلَوْ أَسْكَنَ فَقِيرًا دَارِهِ سَنَةً نَاوِيًا لَا يَجْزِيهِ (عَيَّنَهُ الشَّارِعُ) وَهُوَ رُبْعُ عُشْرِ نِصَابٍ حَوْلِيٍّ

[قال ابن عابدين] (قَوْلُهُ وَهُوَ رُبْعُ عُشْرِ نِصَابٍ) أَيْ أَوْ مَا يَقُومُ مَقَامَهُ مِنْ صَدَقَاتِ السَّوَائِمِ كَمَا أَشَارَ إلَيْهِ فِي الْبَحْرِ ط

(رد المحتار علي الدر المختار، ج :2 ص 205-,206دار المعرفة)

[قال الحصكفي] (نِصَابُ الذَّهَبِ عِشْرُونَ مِثْقَالًا وَالْفِضَّةِ مِائَتَا دِرْهَمٍ كُلُّ عَشْرَةِ) دَرَاهِمَ (وَزْنُ سَبْعَةِ مَثَاقِيلَ) وَالدِّينَارُ عِشْرُونَ قِيرَاطًا، وَالدِّرْهَمُ أَرْبَعَةَ عَشَرَ قِيرَاطًا، وَالْقِيرَاطُ خَمْسُ شَعِيرَاتٍ، فَيَكُونُ الدِّرْهَمُ الشَّرْعِيُّ سَبْعِينَ شَعِيرَةً وَالْمِثْقَالُ مِائَةَ شَعِيرَةٍ، فَهُوَ دِرْهَمٌ وَثَلَاثُ أَسْبَاعِ دِرْهَمٍ، وَقِيلَ يُفْتَى فِي كُلِّ بَلَدٍ بِوَزْنِهِمْ وَسَنُحَقِّقُهُ فِي مُتَفَرِّقَاتِ الْبُيُوعِ (وَالْمُعْتَبَرُ وَزْنُهُمَا أَدَاءً وَوُجُوبًا) لَا قِيمَتُهُمَا.

[قال صاحب الهداية] (لَيْسَ فِيمَا دُونَ مِائَتَيْ دِرْهَمٍ صَدَقَةٌ) لِقَوْلِهِ - عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ - «لَيْسَ فِيمَا دُونَ خَمْسِ أَوَاقٍ صَدَقَةٌ» وَالْأُوقِيَّةُ أَرْبَعُونَ دِرْهَمًا (فَإِذَا كَانَتْ مِائَتَيْنِ وَحَالَ عَلَيْهَا الْحَوْلُ فَفِيهَا خَمْسَةُ دَرَاهِمَ) «لِأَنَّهُ - عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ - كَتَبَ إلَى مُعَاذٍ - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ - أَنْ خُذْ مِنْ كُلِّ مِائَتَيْ دِرْهَمٍ خَمْسَةَ دَرَاهِمَ، وَمِنْ كُلِّ عِشْرِينَ مِثْقَالًا مِنْ ذَهَبٍ نِصْفَ مِثْقَالٍ»

(العناية شرح الهداية، ج 1، ص,545 دار الكتب العلمية)

[قال الحصكفي] (وَشَرْطُهُ) أَيْ شَرْطُ افْتِرَاضِ أَدَائِهَا (حَوَلَانُ الْحَوْلِ) وَهُوَ فِي مِلْكِهِ (وَثَمَنِيَّةُ الْمَالِ كَالدَّرَاهِمِ وَالدَّنَانِيرِ) لِتَعَيُّنِهِمَا لِلتِّجَارَةِ بِأَصْلِ الْخِلْقَةِ فَتَلْزَمُ الزَّكَاةُ كَيْفَمَا أَمْسَكَهُمَا وَلَوْ لِلنَّفَقَةِ (أَوْ السَّوْمُ) بِقَيْدِهَا الْآتِي (أَوْ نِيَّةُ التِّجَارَةِ) فِي الْعُرُوضِ، إمَّا صَرِيحًا وَلَا بُدَّ مِنْ مُقَارَنَتِهَا لِعَقْدِ التِّجَارَةِ كَمَا سَيَجِيءُ، أَوْ دَلَالَةً بِأَنْ يَشْتَرِيَ عَيْنًا بِعَرَضِ التِّجَارَةِ أَوْ يُؤَاجِرُ دَارِهِ الَّتِي لِلتِّجَارَةِ بِعَرَضٍ فَتَصِيرُ لِلتِّجَارَةِ بِلَا نِيَّةٍ صَرِيحًا

(رد المحتار علي الدر المختار، ج,1، ص221,,، دار المعرفة)

فتاوى محمودية، 9/361,فاروقى

قال التمرتاشي] فَارِغٍ عَنْ دَيْنٍ لَهُ مُطَالِبٌ مِنْ جِهَةِ الْعِبَادِ

[قال ابن عابدين] (قَوْلُهُ فَارِغٍ عَنْ دَيْنٍ) بِالْجَرِّ صِفَةٌ نِصَابٍ، وَأَطْلَقَهُ فَشَمِلَ الدَّيْنَ الْعَارِضَ كَمَا يَذْكُرُهُ الشَّارِحُ وَيَأْتِي بَيَانُهُ، وَهَذَا إذَا كَانَ الدَّيْنُ فِي ذِمَّتِهِ قَبْلَ وُجُوبِ الزَّكَاةِ، فَلَوْ لَحِقَهُ بَعْدَهُ لَمْ تَسْقُطْ الزَّكَاةُ لِأَنَّهَا ثَبَتَتْ فِي ذِمَّتِهِ فَلَا يُسْقِطُهَا مَا لَحِقَ مِنْ الدَّيْنِ بَعْدَ ثُبُوتِهَا جَوْهَرَةٌ

(رد المحتار علي الدر المختار، ج 3، ص 21، دار المعرفة)

فتاوى محمودية، 9/363,فاروقى

Answered by
Jibran Kadarkhan
Checked & approved by
;
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