Home » Hanafi Fiqh » Darulfiqh.com » Can Zakat be Used to Buy a Charity Cake in Auction?

Can Zakat be Used to Buy a Charity Cake in Auction?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Darulfiqh.com

Question:

Can Zakat be used to buy a charity cake?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Answer:

Zakat cannot be used to purchase a cake being auctioned for charity.

The Fiqh (jurisprudence of the Answer):

Tamlik (transferral of ownership) of Zakat without a counter-exchange to an eligible recipient is one of the universal conditions for Zakat to be valid.  In the question posed, Zakat is not being dispensed unilaterally in the ownership of an eligible recipient, rather, the money is transacted in a bilateral transaction.  An auction is a sale and a bilateral transaction.[1] 

And Allah Ta’ālā Alone Knows Best
Mufti Faraz Adam,
www.darulfiqh.com

DISCLAIMER:
The views and opinions expressed in this answer belong only to the author and do not in any way represent or reflect the views of any institutions to which he may be affiliated.
Arguments and ideas propounded in this answer are based on the juristic interpretations and reasoning of the author. Given that contemporary issues and interpretations of contemporary issues are subjective in nature, another Mufti may reach different conclusions to the one expressed by the author. Whilst every effort has been taken to ensure total accuracy and soundness from a Shari’ah perspective, the author is open to any correction or juristic guidance. On the event of any juristic shortcomings, the author will retract any or all of the conclusions expressed within this answer.
The Shari’ah ruling given herein is based specifically on the scenario in question.  The author bears no responsibility towards any party that acts or does not act on this answer and is exempted from any and all forms of loss or damage.  This answer may not be used as evidence in any court of law without prior written consent from the author.  Consideration is only given and is restricted to the specific links provided, the author does not endorse nor approve of any other content the website may contain.


[1] دَفَعَ الزَّكَاةَ إلَى صِبْيَانِ أَقَارِبِهِ بِرَسْمِ عِيدٍ أَوْ إلَى مُبَشِّرٍ أَوْ مُهْدِي الْبَاكُورَةِ جَازَ إلَّا إذَا نَصَّ عَلَى التَّعْوِيضِ

(قَوْلُهُ: إلَى صِبْيَانِ أَقَارِبِهِ) أَيْ الْعُقَلَاءِ وَإِلَّا فَلَا يَصِحُّ إلَّا بِالدَّفْعِ إلَى وَلِيِّ الصَّغِيرِ (قَوْلُهُ: بِرَسْمِ عِيدٍ) أَيْ عَادَةِ عِيدٍ ح (قَوْلُهُ: أَوْ مُهْدِي الْبَاكُورَةِ) هِيَ الثَّمَرَةُ الَّتِي تُدْرِكُ أَوَّلًا قَامُوسٌ، وَقَيَّدَهُ فِي التَّتَارْخَانِيَّة بِاَلَّتِي لَا تُسَاوِي شَيْئًا، وَمَفْهُومُهُ أَنَّهَا لَوْ لَهَا قِيمَةٌ لَمْ يَصِحَّ عَنْ الزَّكَاةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمُهْدِيَ لَمْ يَدْفَعْهَا إلَّا لِلْعِوَضِ فَلَا يَجُوزُ أَخْذُهَا إلَّا بِدَفْعِ مَا يَرْضَى بِهِ الْمُهْدِي وَالزَّائِدُ عَلَيْهِ يَصِحُّ عَنْ الزَّكَاةِ.

ثُمَّ رَأَيْت ط ذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ وَزَادَ إلَّا أَنْ يُنَزَّلَ الْمُهْدِي مَنْزِلَةَ الْوَاهِبِ اهـ أَيْ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يَقْصِدْ بِهَا أَخْذَ الْعِوَضِ وَإِنَّمَا جَعَلَهُ وَسِيلَةً لِلصَّدَقَةِ فَهُوَ مُتَبَرِّعٌ بِمَا دَفَعَ وَلِذَا لَا يُعَدُّ مَا يَأْخُذُهُ عِوَضًا عَنْهَا بَلْ صَدَقَةٌ لَكِنَّ الْآخِذَ لَوْ لَمْ يُعْطِهِ شَيْئًا لَا يَرْضَى بِتَرْكِهَا لَهُ فَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُ أَخْذُهَا وَاَلَّذِي يَظْهَرُ أَنَّهُ لَوْ نَوَى بِمَا دَفَعَهُ الزَّكَاةَ صَحَّتْ نِيَّتُهُ وَلَا تَبْقَى ذِمَّتُهُ مَشْغُولَةً بِقَدْرِ قِيمَتِهَا أَوْ أَكْثَرَ إذَا كَانَ لَهَا قِيمَةٌ؛ لِأَنَّ الْمُهْدِيَ وَصَلَ إلَى غَرَضِهِ مِنْ الْهِدَايَةِ، سَوَاءٌ كَانَ مَا أَخَذَهُ زَكَاةً أَوْ صَدَقَةً نَافِلَةً وَيَكُونُ حِينَئِذٍ رَاضِيًا بِتَرْكِ الْهَدِيَّةِ فَلْيُتَأَمَّلْ.

(قَوْلُهُ إذَا نَصَّ عَلَى التَّعْوِيضِ) يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ مَبْنِيًّا عَلَى الْقَوْلِ بِأَنَّهُ إذَا سَمَّى الزَّكَاةَ قَرْضًا لَا تَصِحُّ وَتَقَدَّمَ أَنَّ الْمُعْتَمَدَ خِلَافُهُ، وَعَلَيْهِ فَيَنْبَغِي أَنَّهُ إذَا نَوَاهَا صَحَّتْ وَإِنْ نَصَّ عَلَى التَّعْوِيضِ إلَّا أَنْ يُقَالَ إذَا نَصَّ عَلَى التَّعْوِيضِ يَصِيرُ عَقْدَ مُعَاوَضَةٍ وَالْمَلْحُوظُ إلَيْهِ فِي الْعُقُودِ هُوَ الْأَلْفَاظُ دُونَ النِّيَّةِ الْمُجَرَّدَةِ وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُسَمَّى قَرْضًا مَجَازًا مَشْهُورٌ فِي الْقُرْآنِ الْعَظِيمِ فَيَصِحُّ إطْلَاقُهُ عَلَيْهَا بِخِلَافِ لَفْظِ الْعِوَضِ إذْ لَا عَمَلَ لِلنِّيَّةِ الْمُجَرَّدَةِ مَعَ اللَّفْظِ الْغَيْرِ الصَّالِحِ لَهَا وَلِذَا فَصَّلَ بَعْضُهُمْ فَقَالَ: إنْ تَأَوَّلَ الْقَرْضَ بِالزَّكَاةِ جَازَ وَإِلَّا فَلَا تَأَمَّلْ (حاشية ابن عابدين ج 2 ص 356)

Fatawa Rahimiyyah 7/186 Dar al-Ishaat

This answer was collected from DarulFiqh.com, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Faraz ibn Adam al-Mahmudi, the student of world renowned Mufti Ebrahim Desai (Hafizahullah).

Read answers with similar topics: