The Imam sahib at our nearby Masjid is poor and needy. Can we pay our zakah to him so that he can meet his PERSONAL NEEDS?
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
(Fatwa: 1200/921/B=9/1434)
Yes, you may help him from zakah money without any doubt. But you should pay zakah to him for Allah’s sake, not as salary of his imamat (leading salah). Also, it is not necessary to tell him that it is zakah; you may call it hadya (gift). It is sufficient to have intention of zakah in your heart.
Allah knows Best!
Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband