Q. I have a small business and I have a few staff. I cannot afford to pay all my staff their salaries. Can I use Zakaat money to pay them their salaries?
A. Zakaat money cannot be used to pay an employee his salary. If an employee is an eligible recipient of Zakaat, he may be assisted with Zakaat apart from his salary but Zakaat cannot form part of his salary.
Keeping in mind the rights of employees and the smooth running of a business, employers should employ a sustainable amount of employees and not more than they can manage.
Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Ismaeel Bassa