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Zakat can be given to Orphanage?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Fatwaa.com

Assalamu alaikum,
My question, zakat can be given to muslim orphanage/old age home and madarsah? please explain the sharia rulings over them.

JazakAllah

Answer

Wa’alaykum as Salam wa rahmatullahi wabarakatuhu,

It is essential that Zakah funds are tendered into the complete possession and ownership of the eligible recipients.

Thus, if all the orphans/elderly people/students are poor and needy (nett assests below the Nisaab) and the institute will hand over and give complete ownership of the Zakah (in cash or kind) to the recipient, then it will be permissible to give your Zakah to them. However, if the institute will use the Zakah for other purposes, example building, paying salaries etc, then it will not be permissible to give the Zakah to such an orphanage.

If there are reliable ‘Ulama who oversee the institute or organisation, then you can trust that they will discharge correctly. Otherwise, you may contact the institute and ask them how they utilise the Zakah funds, and thereafter seek guidence from the ‘Ulama.

And Allaah Ta’aala knows best

Wassalaam,

Ismail Moosa (Mufti)

References

ولا يجوز أن يبني بالزكاة المسجد وكذا القناطر والسقايات وإصلاح الطرقات وكري الأنهار والحج والجهاد وكل ما لا تمليك فيه ولا يجوز أن يكفن بها ميت ولا يقضى بها دين الميت كذا في التبيين.
(الفتاوى الهندية (1/ 188)

(لا) يصرف (إلى بناء) نحو (مسجد و) لا إلى (كفن ميت وقضاء دينه)  (الدر المختار (ص: 137)
(قوله: نحو مسجد) كبناء القناطر والسقايات وإصلاح الطرقات وكري الأنهار والحج والجهاد وكل ما لا تمليك فيه زيلعي (قوله: ولا إلى كفن ميت) لعدم صحة التمليك منه؛ ألا ترى أنه لو افترسه سبع كان الكفن للمتبرع لا للورثة نهر (حاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 344)

This answer was collected from Fatwaa.com which is an excellent Q&A site managed by Mufti Ismail Moosa from South Africa. .

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