Paying Zakat to Institutions as Receivers

September 4, 2010

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Question

Can a person who is sahib e nisab give the zakat to an islamic educational institution – where the quran al karim etc are taught to students ( not necessarily all poor or miskeen)? Can zakat be used to fund the education of poor students? Answered by: Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf

Assalamu alaykum

In the name of Allah, the Inspirer of truth.

According to the Shariah, zakat cannot be given to an Islamic Educational Institute as a receiver, because that does not constitute transferring ownership to a legally-poor person, which is a condition for the validity of one’s zakat payment.

However, there are some institutes which accept zakat donations and act as an agent on behalf of the payer or the poor student. They hand it over into the possession of the poor student after which the student pays the amount as his tuition or fees back to the Islamic Institution. Now they are able to use it as they feel necessary.

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf

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Dr. Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf

Dr. Shaykh Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf Mangera is a British Muslim scholar educated in both the Islamic and Western traditions. He memorised the Qur’an by heart and graduated from the Darul Uloom seminary Bury, UK, and later earned a specialised licence to issue fatwa (legal responses) at Mazahir ‘Ulum Saharanpur, India. He earned his BA from the University of Johannesburg and completed his MA and PhD in Islamic Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. He holds an honorary fellowship at The Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Amman, Jordan. Shaykh Abdur-Rahman has the unique experience of serving as an imam in Muslim communities on both sides of the Atlantic, eight years in Southern California and over five in the great city of London—and his continued work as an international speaker and lecturer enables him to address and offer pertinent advice on current challenges that face Muslims in the West. He is the founder of Whitethread Institute, a post-graduate insititute for Islamic scholars. He is an avid traveller and continues to teach hadith and work on scholarly publications through White Thread Press (www.whitethreadpress.com). Many of his lectures are available on www.zamzamacademy.com and his courses through Rayyan Institute (www.rayyaninstitute.com).