ZAKAT

In the Name of Allah the Most Kind the Most Merciful

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is a cardinal obligation which is

unanimously agreed by all because this is proven from the noble Quran, the blessed
Sunnah and from consensus (ijma).
According to the blessed Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) and the practice of his companions, Zakat should be distributed
among the deserving people in the region or country where it is collected. Ordinarily
transferring Zakat to other places is not correct and generally ill-advised (makruh).
Muslims need to take care of their needy brothers and sisters wherever they are
through extending generous charitable donations. There is an acute need for such
help in our time. However, Zakat is of a special category and must be used in such a
way that justice is done to local needs and our duty here in our own country is not
neglected. Zakat cannot be a substitute for general charity (sadaqah) towards the
many Muslims who are suffering from poverty, deprivation, homelessness and
starvation around the world so badly need.
In the hadith that talks about the Messengers instructions to his companion Muadh
when he was sent to Yemen we are told that he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said, O Muadh! You are going to a community who are of the People of the
Book. So, first invite them to bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except
Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. If they accept this, then inform
them that Allah makes five prayers in a day and night obligatory for them. If they
accept this, then inform them that Allah makes charity (i.e., Zakat) obligatory for
them. (It is) to be taken from their rich and given to their poor. [Bukhari]
Based on the last part of this hadith, all the four schools of jurisprudence (madhabs)
establish that as a rule Zakat should be distributed locally and not transferred
elsewhere.

According to the Hanbali School, It is preferred to distribute all of the Zakat

to the poor of his area. It is not permitted to reassign it to (a location) where
prayer is to be shortened (if one travelled to it) though if one does so it
suffices unless there are not any poor people in the land, in which case he
distributes it in the land closest to him. [Al-Hajjawi in Zad al-Mustaqni]

Jamiat Ihyaa` Minhaaj Al-Sunnah, PO Box 24, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8ED
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ZAKAT

According to the Shafi School, If the (eight) categories are found in the place
where Zakat is collected, it is forbidden and invalid to transfer the Zakat
elsewhere except if it is being distributed by the ruler, in which case he may
shift it to another place. [Ibn Naqib in Umdat as-Salik]

According to the Maliki School, transferring Zakat is not permissible unless

there is a pressing need to do so. [Al-Bassam in Tawdih al-Ahkam min Bulugh
al-Maram]

According to the Hanafi School, It is disapproved to transfer the Zakat of one

land to another; unless he distributes it to his poor relatives or to a people
needier than his own. [Al-Zaylai in Nasab al-Rayah Takhrij Ahadith alHidayah] This is also the opinion preferred by Ibn Taymiyyah.

In the UK, collection and distribution of Zakat needs to be undertaken by honest,

reliable and competent organisations that are trusted both by Muslims and the
British government, registered as a UK Charity, and who are above board with their
accounts being vetted by a leading independent firm of chartered accountants. Such
organisations must be soundly Islamic, broadly visible and reputable, and have wide
contact with the community. Moreover, such organisations must have relevant
experience in social issues and charitable work, civic engagement and working
through various statutory bodies. JIMAS is just such an organisation.
There are five issues connected to Zakat.

1. The person on whom it is obligatory

It is obligatory on every adult Muslim who completely owns a certain minimum
amount (nisab) of wealth.
Three of the great scholars of Islam of the Schools of Jurisprudence have held that
Zakat is also obligatory for minors too.
The nature of Zakat can be seen either like an act of worship such as prayer or fasting,
or it can be seen as an obligatory right of the poor over the rich.
Those who prefer the first view exclude minors and the insane from its obligation
because acts of worship become compulsory only after the person reaches a certain
age of maturity (bulugh). Those who preferred the latter view did not take into
Jamiat Ihyaa` Minhaaj Al-Sunnah, PO Box 24, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8ED
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ZAKAT

account the age or sanity of the person on whose behalf Zakat was paid if they were
wealthy enough. The schools of Malik, Shafi and Ahmed all follow the latter.
The jurists also differed about a person who is in debt. They took into account such
things as the type of debt, amount owed compared to what one possesses and the type
of wealth. Their opinion was again in light of the two ways of understanding the
nature of Zakat mentioned earlier. It seems that for a person who has an ongoing
serviceable debt, such as a mortgage on a property whose repayment is kept up, Zakat
is obligatory.

2. The kinds of wealth subject to Zakat

Zakat must be paid on money, gold and silver.
The jurists differed about Zakat on gold and silver depending on how they are used.
They can be used in transaction, as some form of currency or as a medium of
monetary exchange, or they can be used as personal jewellery. According to their
understandings of the hadiths available, Abu Hanifah gave the verdict that Zakat is
compulsory on personal jewellery whereas Malik and Shafi thought not.

3. The nisab and the rates of Zakat

An ounce of silver costs around six pounds in the UK. All four Schools of Thought
agree that Zakat should be levied on 40 ounces or above of silver. This gives a nisab
of around 240. Zakat is 2.5% on wealth which meets the nisab or more than that.

4. The time for payment of Zakat

The wealth has to be there for a complete year (hawl) before paying Zakat on it
becomes an obligation.
The time chosen should not be exclusively set aside for Ramadan. It needs to be at
different times throughout the year from different people in order to maintain cash
flow and effective utilisation of the Zakat funds. It is a common yet mistaken belief
that paying Zakat in Ramadan carries extra reward. Perhaps the obligatory pillar of
Zakat is confused with general charity known as Sadaqah. Sadaqah was given by the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) more in Ramadan. All
Jamiat Ihyaa` Minhaaj Al-Sunnah, PO Box 24, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8ED
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ZAKAT

good deeds carry extra reward in this blessed month. However, there is nothing that
makes payment of Zakat in Ramadan a special virtue.
As to whether Zakat can be paid before the year is out or not, then again depending
on which of the two understandings is accepted by the jurist about the nature of
Zakat, they have differed. Those who understand that it is a specific act of worship
require waiting for the period to elapse whereas those who understand that it is a
right of the poor over the better off permits giving it earlier. Malik did not allow
giving it before the period was up (hawl) whereas both Abu Hanifah and Shafi
allowed it.

5. The persons to whom Zakat is given

There are eight categories of people who deserve Zakat. It is the responsibility of the
relevant organisation in the UK to fairly identify, select and then manage distribution
of Zakat funds to those people, through independent liaison, and co-operation with
local and governmental bodies where appropriate.
Alms are for the poor, and the needy,
and those employed to administer the (funds);
for those whose hearts need to be reconciled;
for those in bondage, and in debt;
in the cause of Allah;
and for the wayfarer:
(thus is it) ordained by Allah,
and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.
[Surah at-Tawbah(9): Ayah 60]
These categories are: the poor, the needy, workers in Zakat administration, people
whose hearts need to be reconciled (muallafat qulooobuhum), captives, debtors, in
the cause of Allah and wayfarers.
Muallafat quloobuhum: This is a general right. According to Abu Hanifah and Shafi
who these people are needs to be carefully considered by those who are in a position
to judge such matters. An ideal example of such a person who can judge would be a
Home Secretary of a land. In the UK they are the Muslims who are in a position of
leadership through practical work, research, analysis and consultation, and have a
Jamiat Ihyaa` Minhaaj Al-Sunnah, PO Box 24, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8ED
Web site address http://www.jimas.org Email: [email protected] Tel/fax: +44 (0) 1473 251578

ZAKAT

good grasp of the condition of the population, the politics of the country and the
challenges faced by Islam and the Muslims. Many types of people, both Muslims and
non-Muslims fall into this category. In this category, individuals or groups who are
close to becoming Muslims deserve Zakat. Another group of people are those who
have recently embraced Islam. They may be alienated from their family and friends
besides coming into the Ummah shackled by heavy debts. Yet another group who
may be given Zakat are those whose harm towards Muslims is averted by doing so.

JIMAS has been spearheading pioneering work in collection and distribution of Zakat
in the UK for a number of years. By the grace of Allah we are breaking new grounds
through co-operation with local government bodies, charities and independent yet
personal liaison. To illustrate some examples, we bring relief to struggling single
parent families, Muslims who are at the point of eviction or repossession,
breadwinners who have lost their means of income, mothers who are in crushing
debts, Muslim asylum seekers and refugees facing a harsh life of severe restrictions of
work and varying measures of hostility, end to end difficulties of homelessness, and
economic hardships of being a foreign student. Our work extends to the society at
large through classes, exhibitions, seminars in state schools, town halls, museums,
churches and discussion forums on various faith based or political platforms. We
attend to all this without turning a blind eye to the needs of various Muslim
organisations providing vital supporting services, whether a help line or a hostel to
Muslims, and provide assistance to them in turn.
This year make JIMAS your Charity Organisation of Choice to carry out the
obligatory duty of Zakat collection and distribution in the UK on your behalf. Help us
to consolidate and progress this work that is already done for the sake of Allah and
bring greater justice to this aspect of our life as a collective responsibility.

We collect and distribute Zakah with zero overheads

We are focused on those who deserve Zakat in the UK strictly according to the
Shariah.

We are experienced, have a continuing long history of engagement in dawah,

richly involved in British civic society and recognised for our nonpartisanship, honesty and even-handedness.

Giving Zakat to us is safe, legal and avoids all suspicions that arise in the
current political climate.
Jamiat Ihyaa` Minhaaj Al-Sunnah, PO Box 24, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 8ED
Web site address http://www.jimas.org Email: [email protected] Tel/fax: +44 (0) 1473 251578