Fatwa ID: 02808

Answered by: Ustadha Sabrina al-Faarsiyyah​

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah

I work and stay in Nigeria, 3 weeks ago due to heavy rains, a few mud-walled houses collapsed near my place of work. As I was passing this street a woman of the house appealed for help by pointing at her fallen house. As I had provision for Zakat that will be due to next Ramadan, I decided to use this yet to be due zakat money and employed a small contractor to rebuild the house with cement blocks instead of the earlier mud walls. My question is, is my intention of paying with yet to be due zakat money acceptable in the eye of Allah Ta’ala. Thanks

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah

There are two points to clarify: 1) paying Zakaah money in advance, and 2) appointing a contractor to rebuild the house. As for the first point, although you paid your Zakaah before its due date, it is permissible for you as long as you possess enough wealth upon which Zakaah is due (sahibun nisaab) at the time of the payment.[1]

Your Zakaah would have been valid if it weren’t for the second point. In Zakaah, it is necessary that the one paying Zakaah must make the needy person the possessor of the Zakaah itself (tamleek). You gave the Zakaah money to the contractor instead hence your Zakaah did not meet the criteria of Shar’i Zakaah and will, therefore, be invalid.[2] However, stay assured that Allah Ta’aala will reward you for your great sadaqah in Hereafter, In shaa Allah.

[1] al-Hidayah p.194, al-Misbah

[2] al-Hidayah p. 205, al-Misbah

Only Allah Ta’ala knows best

Written by Ustadha Sabrina al-Faarsiyyah

Darul Ilm Birmingham