Q: I have read in Ma’ariful Quraan (English) under the verse of “wal Aamileena alayha” i.e. zakaat can be given to those collecting the Zakaat on behalf of the state.
Many organisations nowadays in Non-Muslim countries also collect zakaat on behalf of the organisation and then distribute it to its recipients.
My question is: Can the person appointed on behalf of the organization to collect zakaat be paid his salary from the zakaat money?
A: The law explained in this Ayat pertains to a zakaat collector who is appointed on behalf of the Islamic State. This Ayat does not apply to a non Muslim state. Hence, in a non Muslim State it will not be permissible for an Islamic organisation to pay a zakaat collector from the zakaat funds. Furthermore, if this had to be allowed in a non Muslim state, it would create a lot of complications and problems. Every person may start collecting zakaat to distribute among the poor and take a portion of the zakaat funds as his wages with the justification that he is a zakaat collector.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Zakaria Makada
Checked & Approved:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)