Handing over one’s Zakaat to institutes

Question:-

I would like to know if Zakaat is considered as discharged once it is handed over to an institution that will distribute it on your behalf ?

Answer:-

By merely handing over your Zakaat to an institute, the Zakaat will not be discharged. You have merely appointed the institute as your representative to discharge the Zakaat on your behalf to recipients that are eligible for Zakaat. Hence, you will be absolved of your responsibility when they discharge it correctly to the eligible recipients.

If they discharge the Zakaat after a period of two years, then only after two years it will be discharged. However, you will be sinful as you have delayed the discharging of your Zakaat by an additional year. The Zakaat should have been discharged before the next Zakaat date entered, and in this instance, there is a delay of an additional year.

Some institutes utilize a huge portion of Zakaat funds for administration purposes, whereas the actual recipients of Zakaat are the poor. There are so many poor people that do not have food in their homes, whilst others experience difficulty in paying their rentals and municipal bills. All the while, these institutes are oblivious of such poor people. We, therefore, advise that you discharge your Zakaat correctly by handing it over to the eligible recipients of Zakaat who are the poor.

عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَعَثَ مُعَاذًا إِلَى اليَمَنِ فَقَالَ لَهُ: «إِنَّكَ تَأْتِي قَوْمًا أَهْلَ كِتَابٍ، فَادْعُهُمْ إِلَى شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، فَإِنْ هُمْ أَطَاعُوا لِذَلِكَ، فَأَعْلِمْهُمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ افْتَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ خَمْسَ صَلَوَاتٍ فِي اليَوْمِ وَاللَّيْلَةِ، فَإِنْ هُمْ أَطَاعُوا لِذَلِكَ، فَأَعْلِمْهُمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ افْتَرَضَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَدَقَةَ أَمْوَالِهِمْ تُؤْخَذُ مِنْ أَغْنِيَائِهِمْ وَتُرَدُّ عَلَى فُقَرَائِهِمْ، فَإِنْ هُمْ أَطَاعُوا لِذَلِكَ، فَإِيَّاكَ وَكَرَائِمَ أَمْوَالِهِمْ، وَاتَّقِ دَعْوَةَ المَظْلُومِ، فَإِنَّهَا لَيْسَ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَ اللَّهِ حِجَابٌ» (ترمذي)

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 23 Jumadal Ukhra 1444 / 16 January 2023