Source: http://qa.muftisays.com/?11340
Question ID: #11340
 
Question: Zakat fisabillilah
First of all,this very long post and hope we can have nice and educated discussion on this..

Last year, my country faced a situation where the child of a well-established ex-mufti received a full zakat fisabilillah scholarship. This raised questions for me because I’ve always understood zakat to be primarily for the impoverished. I know there are exceptions for other zakat categories, such as muallaf (new Muslims), which I can understand logically. But in the case of fisabilillah, I find it harder to justify.

The child in question was furthering their studies in Islamic teachings, but how can we guarantee that they will use their knowledge to defend Islam in the future? It feels morally wrong to me when there are many underprivileged students who could benefit from this zakat instead.

I sought clarification and asked a scholar from another country via a zakat website. They explained that the definition of fisabilillah for zakat purposes is not a matter of consensus among scholars. Some scholars believe zakat cannot be given to students of knowledge or those who preach Islam, while others allow it. In other words, this issue falls into a grey area.

After reflecting on this, I decided that I could not accept my country’s fatwa on this matter because I personally feel it is morally wrong. Instead, I chose to follow the opinion of other scholars who align more with my understanding of zakat.

When I shared my thoughts on X (Twitter), my post went viral, and I faced massive backlash. People called me ignorant, accused me of distorting my aqidah (beliefs), and even claimed I was on the verge of apostasy for disagreeing with the fatwa and questioning the ex-mufti’s decision.

I admit I have a biased view of this situation because I feel my community idolizes the ex-mufti too much. However, I turned to platforms like Reddit to hear opinions from different cultures and perspectives.

So, my question is:
Am I wrong for thinking this way? Is my opinion valid, or does questioning this make me a sinner or even a kafir?
 
 
Answered by: Ulamaa ID 04 (London)
Date: 12/01/2025 15:44pm

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب حامداومصليا

Zakat is only given to those recipients whom Allah mentions in the Quran deserving Zakat. If one is not from that category then it will be impermissible.

Zakat given to a student of knowledge must be poor and needy.

“Alms-tax is only for the poor and the needy, for those employed to administer it, for those whose hearts are attracted ˹to the faith˺, for ˹freeing˺ slaves, for those in debt, for Allah’s cause, and for ˹needy˺ travellers. ˹This is˺ an obligation from Allah. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (9:60)

ثم قال الإتفاق علي أن الأصناف كلهم سوي العامل يعطون بشرط الفقر الخ
(الدرالمختارمع ردالمحتار ٢/٣٤٣،سعيد)


And Allah knows best

12 Rajab 1446/ 12 January 2025
Mufti Qamruzzaman

London, UK
 
www.MuftiSays.com