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Masarif-e-Zakat

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by ShariahBoard.org

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah

I have two questions regarding Masarif-e-Zakat: 

1) Can Zakat be sent to a relative, who is not sahib-e-nisab? For example, one of my relatives whose  husband just passed away lives alone with her daughter. She works in a factory and the girl is a teenager. Can Zakat be collected in order to buy them an apartment in a better locality? Would it be permissible to use Zakat in such a way?

2) If someone cannot fast due to diabetes and they pay money every year in Pakistan for the whole month, would the Zakat be calculated in Pakistani rupees or dollars? Can this money be given to my aunt who is a widow and mustahiq? Please note that this aunt relies upon donations to survive and she uses that particular amount of money for food and basic expenses. Is it OK to give her Zakat money? Can we give money for missed fasts to any Mustahiq or are there specific guidelines? 

JazakAllah Khair

الجواب و باللہ التوفیق

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuh

  1. Zakat money can be given to the relatives who are not sahib-e-nisab (i.e. a person who meets or exceeds the threshold of wealth required to make discharging Zakat mandatory upon them) and are not Syed by lineage. However, giving such an amount of money, which can be used to buy a new home, is not free from detestation. Similarly, gathering money with that intention is also something which is disliked.
  2. If the person paying Fidiya is living in America, then the amount will have to be calculated in dollars
  3. Fidya can be given to the people who can be given Zakat. In Quran, 8 masarif (i.e. types of people to whom Zakat money can be given) have been described; one should discharge their Zakat money in one or more of those masarif. In fiqh al-hanafi 2 of those msarif are not present therefore the total number is decreased to 6 and are described below:
    • Faqeer: A person who truly does not have any means to support him
    • Miskeen: A person who has some (but not all) means of supporting his basic needs
    • Amileen: People who are appointed to collect the Zakat money
    • Maqrooz: A person who is a sahib-e-nisab (i.e. a person who meets or exceeds the threshold of wealth required to make discharging Zakat mandatory upon them), however he owes so much money to others that if he pays them back he will not be sahib-e-nisab anymore
    • Fee-Sabeelillah: This specifically means the people who are engaged in gaining ilm-e-deen or otherwise striving in spreading the deen of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala
    • Musafireen: People who otherwise do not deserve the Zakat money but became needy during a journey (giving them as much as absolutely needed is permissible)

فقط واللہ اعلم بالصواب

This answer was collected from Shariahboard.org. It was established under the supervision of the eminent faqih of our era, Hazrat Shah Mufti Mohammed Navalur Rahman damat barakatuhum.

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