Fatwa ID: 08552

Answered by Maulana Sakib Shadman

Question:

Someone has given the masjid £5k in Zakat. We don’t accept this as a zakat project, but if the third party takes the opinion it is zakat-able, what do we  do? Give the money back, which we are ready to do, or accept it, if that is his opinion?

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

As you are aware, Zakat wealth cannot be used to fund/build a Masjid. The person who donated the £5000 should be informed that his money will not be used for the purposes of Zakat. Instead it will be regarded as optional Sadaqah (charity). If he agrees, you may keep the money and use it for the purposes of funding/upkeeping your Masjid. If he disagrees then you must give it back.

Hence, you cannot keep the money even if he believes that Zakat money can be donated to a Masjid. His opinion has no basis according to any Madhab. There is no leeway for any Ijtihaad (juristic discretion) in such an issue of scholarly consensus. Thus you must return the money if he insists that he wants his donation to count as Zakat as opposed to optional charity.

References:

وَيُشْتَرَطُ أَنْ يَكُونَ الصَّرْفُ (تَمْلِيكًا) لَا إبَاحَةً كَمَا مَرَّ (لَا) يُصْرَفُ (إلَى بِنَاءِ) نَحْوِ (مَسْجِدٍ وَ) لَا إلَى (كَفَنِ مَيِّتٍ وَقَضَاءِ دَيْنِهِ) أَمَّا دَيْنُ

ص344 – كتاب حاشية ابن عابدين رد المحتار ط الحلبي – باب مصرف الزكاة والعشر – المكتبة الشاملة

ويشترط أن يكون الصرف (تمليكا) لا إباحة كما مر (لا) يصرف (إلى بناء) نحو (مسجد و) لا إلى (كفن ميت وقضاء دينه) أما دين الحي الفقير فيجوز لو بأمره، ولو أذن فمات

ص137 – كتاب الدر المختار شرح تنوير الأبصار وجامع البحار – باب المصرف – المكتبة الشاملة

{۞ إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتُ لِلۡفُقَرَاۤءِ وَٱلۡمَسَـٰكِینِ وَٱلۡعَـٰمِلِینَ عَلَیۡهَا وَٱلۡمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمۡ وَفِی ٱلرِّقَابِ وَٱلۡغَـٰرِمِینَ وَفِی سَبِیلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِیلِۖ فَرِیضَةࣰ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِیمٌ حَكِیمࣱ}

[Surah At-Tawbah: 60]

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Maulana Sakib Shadman

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham