Question:
ASSALAMUALAIKUM MUFTI SAAB
AS PER OUR TELEPHONE CONVERSATION PLEASE CAN YOU HELP US URGENTLY WITH SOME OF THE MASAAIL WE HAVE:
1. DO WE HAVE TO UTILISE THE ZAKAAT MONEY GIVEN TO US WITHIN ONE YEAR OR IF THERE IS ANY BALANCE LEFT CAN WE TAKE FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR.
2. CAN WE PAY SCHOOL FEES FOR ULAMAA’s CHILDREN (THE USTAADHS WHICH WE EMPLOY TO TEACH IN OUR MADRASSAH THEIR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO PRIVATE SCHOOL FOR SECULAR EDUCATION) DIRECTLY FROM ZAKAAT ACCOUNT. IF NOT THAN WHAT CAN WE DO IF WE HAVE ALREADY PAID IN THE PAST. (WE ARE NOT SURE IF THE ULAMAA’S CONCERNED ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ZAKAAT OR NOT BECAUSE SOME ARE FROM PAKISTAN.)
3. CAN WE PAY WAGES TO THE NURSERY SCHOOL TEACHERS DIRECTLY FROM ZAKAAT ACCOUNT ( THIS ARE THE TEACHERS WHICH WE HAVE EMPLOYED FOR NURSERY SCHOOL IN THE VILLAGES OR RURAL AREAS). IF NOT WHAT CAN WE DO IF WE HAVE ALREADY PAID IN THE PAST.
4.REGARDING CONVERTING THE ZAKAAT MONEY TO LILLAH OR FEES WHAT OPTION IS BETTER, EITHER HAVE A WAKEEL FOR THE CHILDREN OR GIVE DIRECTLY TO THE CHILD WHO WILL THAN PAY HIS FEES TO THE INSTITUTION. IF OPTION OF WAKEEL IS PREFERRED PLEASE EXPLAIN US THE CORRECT PROCEDURE.
Answer:
- It is better to utilise the Zakaat money given to any committee or institution within one year of its acquisition. If there is any Zakaat remaining then it can be utilised during the following year. (Fataawaa Mahmoodiyah, Vol. 17, Page 112)
- The institution can utilise the Zakaat funds directly from the account in order to pay the fees of the school going children, provided that they are still minors and the Ustaadh is also eligible for Zakaat. If the children are mature and they are deserving of Zakaat, then their school fees can be made with Zakaat money, otherwise not.
If the committee has already paid the school fees of these students without investigating the monetary status of the Ustaadhs nor the students through discretion then it will be binding on them to repay the Zakaat money already utilised for this purpose. If they did use their discretion and then it was found that the Ustaadhs or the mature children were not deserving of Zakaat, they will not have to repay the Zakaat utilised.
- If all the students of the nursery school are eligible for Zakaat then the committee can pay the teachers directly from the Zakaat account, otherwise not. If the committee has already done so without fulfilling the condition mentioned in no. 2 then they will be liable for the amount already utilised.
- The poor child should appoint the committee or the administrator to receive the Zakaat on his/her behalf and pay his/her fees with that money. For this purpose the following clause should be added to the admission form:
“I am deserving of Zakaat. I appoint _____________________________ to receive Zakaat, Sadaqah, etc on my behalf and to utilise it in paying my fees to the madrassah.”
_______________ ______________
Signature Date
(Imdaadul Mufteen)
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Mufti Muhammad Ashraf
Darul Iftaa
Jameah Mahmoodiyah
Springs
07 December 2004
24 Shawwal 1425