Sunnah is My Style!

The Paying of Zakât and who is entitled to receive it.

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

‘Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.s), his blessed descendents and noble companions.’

                                                                      Aameen.

                        The Paying of Zakât and who is entitled to receive it.

                         

   1. Upon the expiry of the year, zakât should be given immediately. It is not a good habit to delay in carrying out good deeds because it is possible that death may overcome a person and this duty will still remain on his shoulders. If the paying of zakât is delayed to such an extent that the second year also expires, the person will be a sinner but he can still repent for this sin and pay the zakât immediately. In other words, he should pay the zakât that is incumbent upon him at some time or the other in his life and should not leave it out.

2. Zakât is wajib on 1/40th of all the wealth which a person possesses. That is, R2.50 for every R100 or R1 for every R40.

3. At the time of giving the zakât to a poor person, one must have the intention in his heart that he is giving this money as zakât. If he merely gives it without making any intention, the zakât will not be fulfilled. He will have to give the zakât again, and he will be rewarded separately for the money that he had already given.

4. If the person did not make the intention of giving zakât at the time of giving it to the poor person, then as long as that money is still in the possession of the poor person, he will be able to make the intention. By making the intention at this stage, his zakât will be fulfilled. But if the poor person has already spent that money, then the intention that is made at this stage will not be considered. He will have to repeat the payment of his zakât.

5. A person set aside R2 to be given as zakât and decided that when he comes across a deserving person he will give it to him. However, when he gave it to the poor person he forgot to make the intention of zakât. In this case, zakât will be fulfilled. But if he did not make the intention of zakât at the time of setting it aside, his zakât will not be fulfilled.

6. A person has taken out his zakât for distribution. He has the choice of giving all his zakât to one person or distributing it among several persons. He also has the option of giving all the zakât on one day or distributing it over several months.

7. It is better to give one poor person an amount which will be sufficient for him for that day so that he will not have to ask anyone else.

8. It is makruh to give one poor person an amount which makes the giving of zakât wajib. However, if it is given, the zakât will be fulfilled. It is permissible and not makruh to give an amount that is less than this.

9. A person comes to borrow some money and it is known that he is so poor and hard-pressed that he will be unable to fulfil this debt or that he is a very bad payer and never fulfils his debts. If the person gives him some zakât money and also makes this intention in his heart that he is giving zakât, then in such a case zakât will be fulfilled despite the poor person regarding it as a debt.