(#134)
Assalam alaykaum,
My question is related to zakat and who is eligible for zakat.
However, it’s more than that. I will mention the exact situation below. My uncle and aunty died when my cousin was only 9y/o. My mom took care of cousin since then. She was raised in my family with me and sister. We never made any difference between her or my sister. I have always considered her as my own sister, allhumdulillah. My parents took care of her as they did for me and my sister. From last seven years I am taking responsibility of my family and now it’s on me to take care of my cousin too. We are planning to get her married next year and the question was can I use the zakat money that I will be giving in zakat for her marriage. This is lower the burden on me to take care of family and wedding too. My cousin is not working and there is no one else to take care of her or help her in her wedding. Please provide some details on this.
Jazakallah
Answer
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
حامدا و مصليا و مسلما
Muhtaram
We have received your query dated 27/03/22, our response is as follows:
Firstly, May Allah Ta’ala reward you for taking care of your cousin. Ameen
Your Zakaat will NOT be fulfilled by paying for the expenses of your cousins wedding due to the fact that ownership (Tamleek) of your money is not found, when Zakaat is given to someone it is necessary that they are made the owner of the wealth i.e the money is handed over to them.[1]
However, if your cousin is eligible for Zakaat, you may give her the Zakaat money and she can use that money to cover the expenses for her wedding, keeping in mind that once the money is given to her she may use it for her wedding or on anything else, as the money is now her ownsership.
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Answered by:
Abdushakoor Salim
26th Sha’ban 1443
30th March 2022
Checked and approved by:
(Mufti) Muhammad Irshad Motara and (Mufti) Musayyab Sahib
3rd Ramadaan 1443
6th April 2022
[1] فتاوى محمودية، ص ٦٠٢، ج ٩
وَيُشْتَرَطُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الصَّرْفُ (تَمْلِيكًا)…. قَوْلُهُ: تَمْلِيكًا) فَلَا يَكْفِي فِيهَا الْإِطْعَامُ إلَّا بِطَرِيقِ التَّمْلِيكِ وَلَوْ أَطْعَمَهُ عِنْدَهُ نَاوِيًا الزَّكَاةَ لَا تَكْفِي
شامي، ص ٣٤٤، ج ٢
وَلَا تُدْفَعُ) الزَّكَاةُ (لِبِنَاءِ مَسْجِدٍ)؛ لِأَنَّ التَّمْلِيكَ شَرْطٌ فِيهَا وَلَمْ يُوجَدْ وَكَذَا بِنَاءُ الْقَنَاطِيرِ وَإِصْلَاحُ الطُّرُقَاتِ وَكَرْيُ الْأَنْهَارِ وَالْحَجُّ وَالْجِهَادُ وَكُلُّ مَا لَا يُتَمَلَّكُ فِيهِ، وَإِنْ أُرِيدَ الصَّرْفُ إلَى هَذِهِ الْوُجُوهِ صُرِفَ إلَى فَقِيرٍ ثُمَّ يَأْمُرُ بِالصَّرْفِ إلَيْهَا فَيُثَابُ الْمُزَكِّي وَالْفَقِيرُ
مجمع الأنهر، ص ٢٢٢، ج ١
