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Use of Zakat for Administrative Expenses of Charities
By Mufti Taqi Usmani
| Q.) What is the Islamic legal judgment about charities [run by
Muslims] registered as NGO's (Non-Governmental Organizations) collecting and distributing
Zakat money? Is it lawful (in Islam) for such organizations to use part of the
collected Zakat money to cover their administration costs (involved in the collection and
distribution of Zakat)? Some people have claimed that NGOS should not collect or
distribute Zakat in the absence of Al-Khilafah, (because Khalifa is the only person who
has the sole right to do so). What is the Islamic opinion about such claims? (Mostafa
Usman, Birmingham). |
A.) It is permissible for non-government organizations to collect and
distribute zakat money among those entitled to receive it on the condition that
they fully observe the Islamic rules and principles concerning Zakat and take due care
that the money so collected is duly given to the needy. However, it is not permissible for
such private organizations to spend the zakat money to cover their administration costs.
It is true that the Holy Qur'an has allowed to give some part of zakat money to
"A'milin" i.e. the persons appointed by the government to collect zakat. But it
is applicable only in the context of an Islamic State which duly manages collection and
distribution of zakat. This principle cannot be extended to the employees of private
organizations. The wisdom behind this difference between government and non-government
organizations is that in the case of a true Islamic State the persons employed for the
collection of Zakat are under constant observation and monitoring of the government itself
which can ensure that those employees are not committing any misconduct and that the money
allocated for them does not affect much on the interest of the needy for whom the levy of
zakat is originally meant. On the contrary, if the same principle is allowed for private
organizations there is no recognized authority to check that the zakat money is not spent
excessively on the administrative expenses. Therefore, if private organizations elect to
collect and distribute zakat they can do so only on charitable basis and no amount from
the zakat money should be spent on their employees or on their administration.
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