Using a loophole in Zakaat funds

Question:-

Can Zakaat funds be given to a Darul Uloom student, with the condition that he takes possession of the funds and then gives it back to the owner, so that the funds may be given to poor people who are generally not eligible for Zakaat. Will the Zakaat in this instance be discharged?

Answer:-

This is a loophole to make Zakaat funds permissible for people who do not qualify as recipients of Zakaat. One may only adopt a loophole when there is a necessity otherwise, adopting such a loophole will be considered as Makrooh. In the above scenario, there is really no need to adopt such a procedure, since the funds will be channelled to individuals that are owners of the Nisaab. Hence, we do not approve of the above-mentioned method. There are, perhaps, millions of needy people that rightly qualify as recipients of Zakaat and should be assisted with Zakaat funds. It is a matter of searching for such individuals and assisting them.

الْفَصْلُ الْأَوَّلُ: فِي بَيَانِ جَوَازِ الْحِيَلِ وَعَدَمِ جَوَازِهَا فَنَقُولُ: مَذْهَبُ عُلَمَائِنَا – رَحِمَهُمْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى – أَنَّ كُلَّ حِيلَةٍ يَحْتَالُ بِهَا الرَّجُلُ لِإِبْطَالِ حَقِّ الْغَيْرِ أَوْ لِإِدْخَالِ شُبْهَةٍ فِيهِ أَوْ لِتَمْوِيهِ بَاطِلٍ فَهِيَ مَكْرُوهَةٌ وَكُلُّ حِيلَةٍ يَحْتَالُ بِهَا الرَّجُلُ لِيَتَخَلَّصَ بِهَا عَنْ حَرَامٍ أَوْ لِيَتَوَصَّلَ بِهَا إلَى حَلَالٍ فَهِيَ حَسَنَةٌ، وَالْأَصْلُ فِي جَوَازِ هَذَا النَّوْعِ مِنْ الْحِيَلِ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى {وَخُذْ بِيَدِكَ ضِغْثًا فَاضْرِبْ بِهِ وَلا تَحْنَثْ} – وَهَذَا تَعْلِيمُ الْمَخْرَجِ لِأَيُّوبَ النَّبِيِّ – عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى نَبِيِّنَا الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – عَنْ يَمِينِهِ الَّتِي حَلَفَ لَيَضْرِبَنَّ امْرَأَتَهُ مِائَةَ عُودٍ وَعَامَّةُ الْمَشَايِخِ عَلَى أَنَّ حُكْمَهَا لَيْسَ بِمَنْسُوخٍ وَهُوَ الصَّحِيحُ مِنْ الْمَذْهَبِ كَذَا فِي الذَّخِيرَةِ. (الفتاوي الهندية ص390 ج6)

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai

Date: 17 Muharram 1444 / 16 August 2022